david j. auld

Biography

1. Born in Leicester in 1944; showed artistic talent at school winning some prizes but neglected Art to follow more conventional academic pursuits. 2. Degree in Geography at Oxford University followed by teaching in East Africa and London from 1967 to 1971. 3. Worked in Town and Country planning from 1971 to 1975 in London, 1975 to 1985 in Oxfordshire and 1985 t0 2001 in Wiltshire, my final position being Head of Development Control for North Wiltshire District Council, based in Chippenham. 4. During all these working and family years I maintained a close interest in art but my artistic output was limited to a few drawings each year, generally done whilst on holiday. However in 1997 I started to attend painting classes at Chippenham College, hoping to convert my drawing skills into painting skills. 5. Encouraged by my artist wife, Yvonne Auld, I have been painting regularly since that time and my early retirement in 2001 gave me the opportunity to spend much more time on my art. 6. Initially I painted mainly in watercolour with my main area of interest being landscapes and buildings, which of course both relate well to my background and previous career. My work does not seek total precision but rather an evocative representation of the outside world. Wiltshire landscapes are a constant source of inspiration, but foreign climes, including France and Italy, also feature. 7. Recently I have been working in acrylic, with mixed media and also with acrylic ink to diversify my output. 8. My work has been exhibited widely across Wiltshire and beyond, for instance in Bristol, Bath, Calne, Marlborough and Swindon, with sales in most of those locations. A selection of my work is constantly to be seen at the Handel House Gallery in Devizes. 9. In 2006 my watercolour painting of the Ca D'Oro in Venice was a prizewinner in the national Patchings Art Competition organised by the Artist and Leisure Painter magazine group. 10. Recent commissions include a watercolour of a local thatched cottage and another of a holiday bungalow in Portugual.