Artist James Brady specialises in painting and drawing wildlife. Here he tells The Impartial Reporter about his artistic background, his biggest influences and what he is currently working on.

JC: What is your artistic background?

JB: My artistic background has its origins in a very creative family, steeped in both art and music. Although I enjoyed both disciplines, I had a stronger affinity with art. I began drawing at a very early age and became absorbed in learning different techniques. I am largely self taught in the mediums I enjoy using most, but have been guided and helped by tutors with my creative development. Even with the opportunity to follow different paths through secondary school I was resolute about pursuing art. I attended Fermanagh College to prepare my portfolio for my application to the University of Ulster, where I secured a place at the Art College. I studied there for four years, gaining an Honours degree in Visual Communication which included graphic design and illustration.

JC: What inspires your art?

JB: The inspiration for my illustration work is drawn from my imagination, sparked by a piece of narrative text as I capture a scene or unfolding drama. I draw out the key ingredients of the passage, this could take the form of a character, movement or a setting. Again like the process I apply to painting wildlife, some pieces can be loaded with detail, even small insignificant elements can tell a story of their own. While other images need a bare suggestion of tone and a limited palette to generate a mood. I focus on creating an energy with my work through the use of colour, flow and light. By exploring and experimenting with these and unfamiliar techniques I consistently take the risks that keep my work from becoming dull and lifeless.

JC: Who/what are your biggest influences?

JB: I have a wide ranging and varying list of influences depending on the medium and processes used by the artist. I have always been drawn to the renowned Canadian wildlife painter Robert Bateman who uses mainly acrylic on board and his British equivalent the oil painter David Shepherd. Both artists are animal conservationists and through their work raise awareness to the ongoing struggle of wildlife in our ecologically damaged world. Although I admire the paintings of both artists, I learn from their work without trying to emulate it. Observing the processes of other painters in various mediums can give you a fresh insight into trying a new approach with your own work.

JC: Is there a specific place that you do your work?

JB: Several years ago my wife Samantha and I developed the upstairs space at home creating a large work room to contain my artistic pursuits… and all its mess! The walls are papered with photos, prints, books, works in progress and paintings in mediums ranging from pastels to oils.

JC: What has been your most ambitious piece to date?

JB: If I was to choose one painting it would probably be ‘Ducks’, my first large scale oil painting at 5ft x 3 ½ ft. Good source material and planning are key to a successful piece of work. I took a lot of reference photos at my brother-in-law’s farm as the brace of ducks waddled through the yard one by one. These images formed the basis for my preparatory sketches to determine the best layout for the painting. Once satisfied with the sketch, it was scaled up accordingly to create the final piece, with a very pleasing end result.

JC: What different artistic mediums do you use and which is your favourite?

JB: I enjoy trying new art mediums as each has its own challenges especially if you have never used that particular one before. It’s about feeling if it’s right for you. Watercolour for example requires a delicate approach, methodical with some careful planning and there’s little room for error. I’m too heavy handed and enjoy heaping on the medium in a swift stroke and applying layers of paint while scraping and manipulating the tones and detail with a brush.

I enjoyed using pastel once I avoided smudging it, a common mistake made by beginners as they learn the medium. The same applies to oil pastels, but you can achieve wonderful results if you persevere with them. I started out painting with acrylics and gouache but I now find oil paint the most enjoyable medium to work with.

JC: What are you currently working on?

JB: I’m working on two concurrent projects at present - my impending wildlife exhibition and illustrating a book. I have previously exhibited paintings of non native and endangered species, but this forthcoming 2021 body of work will focus on native wildlife - from ground dwellers to flight. The illustration project forms part of an art story book, a personal project that I am hoping to complete by the end of this year.

JC: Do you exhibit your work anywhere?

JB: I don’t have a fixed exhibition space or gallery, although I do have an online Facebook page JamesBradyArt, where I can be contacted and answer any queries regarding my work. There is also a selection of pieces on this web page in a range of different subjects if people want to explore my work further.

JC: Any new artistic ventures planned for 2020?

JB: In spite of our current situation 2020 is panning out to be a busy year for me, with my time being split between illustrating the book and producing oil paintings for my exhibition in 2021. As yet the venue for the exhibition hasn’t been decided, but I’ll be hoping to stage this in County Fermanagh.

JC: What has been your favourite project to date?

JB: In 2011 I produced a set of equine paintings in a range of different mediums and styles. Horses are sublime creatures, their eyes are like windows to their soul. They are challenging subjects to draw, so I immersed myself in understanding and connecting with them by taking a three month riding course and photographing them at various equine centres. I spent a lot of time painting the eyes, studying the anatomy, looking at their muscle structure, the slope of their back and head which I hoped would give me an adequate understanding to create an appropriate body of work. The project allowed me to experiment and find my own way of painting that suited my style and vision for the outcome of the project.

JC: What are you up to when you aren’t creating art?

JB: If I’m not creating art, I’m either walking with my dogs in the countryside, wandering some barren landscape with my camera or sitting with my sketchbook in the back garden.

I enjoy travelling to new places, especially remote unspoilt scenery. It gives me a fresh perspective on what I’m painting at that particular time. When you paint animals and nature, it is vital that you experience them firsthand. During my teens I had my first formative experience of wildlife whilst out wandering across the fields and hills. I came across a scene that had a profound effect on me. Being nocturnal, the last thing I expected to see were fox cubs rolling in the field under the watchful gaze of their mother. I lay nearby and observed them from the cover of long grass as they played. It is a scene that has never left me and still inspires what I do today.

JC: How would you describe your artistic style?

JB: My artistic style is determined mostly by the subject matter. As I have a preference for wildlife painting, I find that some animals require a more refined detailed approach whereas others lend themselves to a more expressive technique. I prefer to be expressive, experience has taught me that not all detail is warranted and I can achieve the same effect with an economy of strokes. As long as the colour and tone are correct, a suggestive hint or dab can achieve the same result.

JC: What does your art mean to you?

JB: Ever since I was a child, I have lived and breathed art by satisfying my need to create. I think what making art means to me is perfectly summed up by the artist and printmaker Anni Albers when she says, “Art is something that makes you breathe with a different kind of happiness.”