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David Dane has spent more than a quarter of a century
working as a professional artist. His atmospheric and ethereal depictions
of the Broadland landscape are known throughout the world.
Secret Broadland: Off The Beaten Track - was Dane's
third exhibition for the Norfolk Wildlife Trust's.
"With this exhibition I tried to go to some
unusual places," he recalls.
"We've all seen St Benets Abbey and Wroxham,
but how many people know of Hassingham Broad, Barnby Broad and the
Alderfen?
"I wanted to visit these places with my painting
because there are lots of places on the Broads that people don't
get to see very much.
"Some are privately owned, others just damn
difficult to get to and I wanted to explore these hidden treasures.
Late summer on Lady Broad, part of the Trinity
Broads (detail) |
"In some ways, long may they remain that way
as that's probably why many of them look so unspoilt.
David's love of the Broads began with the various
jobs he had working on and around the river.
He spent some time working with the famous Hunter
Fleet at Ludham, one of Norfolk's most traditional yards on the
Broads.
It was whilst working at the yard he feels some
kind of miracle took place.
"My memories there are nothing but fond and
I remember looking out of the window at the ice coloured reeds -
it looked like heaven to me.
"I also skittered trip boats for around five
or six years. I had an immediate rapport with the area and thought
how lucky I am to be doing this. This fired my imagination and was
inspiration for my paintings.
"I first started painting when I was working
at Hunter's Yard. It was a gradual process and I just started taking
it more and more seriously as the years went by.
"After about 25 years it was make or break
and I decided to chuck everything up and paint for a living. Everyone
said 'you're completely crazy', but fortunately I proved them wrong.
"I think the years I spent at the boatyard
were very important to me. It was were I suddenly found peace of
mind and what I was looking for, I found an identity I suppose.
"I got to the point where I wanted to reach
more people than those I was reaching with a single oil painting
- so I got into prints.
Late afternoon on Halvergate Marshes (detail) |
"I got involved with a London company called
Rosenstiels and nobody could have envisaged how my work was going
to take off with them.
"They're one of the biggest fine art publishers
in the world. I think I was the first Broadland artist to have work
published all over the world in the form of prints."
It is David's unique style that sets his work apart
from other artists who have reproduced Norfolk's beautiful countryside
on canvas.
"Most people tell me they can spot my pictures
anywhere because they know my look," he said. "I'd
describe it as misty, atmospheric or even ethereal.
"I'm a lucky chap, one of the few people who
can say that he loves what he's doing in life. I do it because I
love to do it, not because I have to and that makes all the difference,"
he added.
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