Land Sea Sky

Leading landscape artist Oliver Akers Douglas is holding a substantial exhibition of recent work at Gallery 8 in the heart of London’s St James’s. Two years in the making, the exhibition includes 50 oil paintings of landscape and coastal scenes. The subjects range from where he lives in Wiltshire, to the Jurassic coast of Dorset, the West coast of Scotland and Connemara in Ireland.

The many followers of Oliver’s work will recognise the familiar boldness and dynamism of his paintwork. Best known for his dramatic interpretations of English weather and chalk downland scenery, Oliver has in recent years travelled further afield to find ever wilder and more atmospheric locations. As a plein air painter for whom direct experience is central, Oliver’s practice often involves long hikes with all his equipment to reach the ultimate spot.

“So much of my current work is about searching out unique places that really excite me. And then in waiting for the conditions that set off the scene to best effect. Season, time of day, weather and tide all come into play. And of course, it’s not just about finding the right scene, it’s also about how the scene finds me.”

Not only are Oliver’s paintings infused with light, drama and scintillating colour, but they possess a strong emotional charge. They communicate a kind of romanticism rarely seen in contemporary art, and place him within a long tradition of British landscape painting. The paint is applied vigorously with palette knife and brush, creating surfaces that are rich with texture and plasticity, and lend an urgency and vivacity to the final images. His ability to capture the ever-changing interplay of light and shadow, be it across land or sea or sky, is something for which Oliver is particularly renowned.