Page 8 - Jigsaw Sept 2020

Local interest...................................................................................................
A talented young artist – Daniel Tilaks is going places...
Daniel Tilaks from Thrapston is starting to study graphic design in Kettering College having enjoyed his Art GCSE. Daniel’s mum, Victoria, is an artist too so we wanted to know how his love of art had developed.
Did you enjoy painting when you were younger? Yes, I believe I did. I used to
copy my mum. I watched how she drew or applied the paint and I tried to do the same. At first it was tricky; even to draw a perfectly straight line was a challenge but when my sketches got better, I started practicing with colours.
Do you like painting in oils and why? Yes,
I like to paint in oils. I find them easier than watercolour and any mistake can be fixed in no time. I use water mixable oils and
they are my favourite. Painting in oils, once completed, looks so appealing to the eye.
I learned how to mix different colours and get the shades I am after. I have discovered that there is almost no end to the amount of beautiful colours you can create.
Do you use any other sort of paints? Yes, I do enjoy watercolour and ink and these were my first choice of art material until I tried oils. I do like the artwork of some artists created with pastels and I think this could be my next choice of material to try.
Daniel has painted some fabulous pictures of tall ships and we wanted to know what is special about the tall ships that makes you want to paint them? I developed a taste for marine history some time ago. I enjoyed making models of tall ships, so to paint them was just a next step. Who would not admire the magnificent structure of tall ships? They were made by skillful craftsmen, and are absolutely stunning. I have visited a few tall ship festivals and got on board some of the replicas. “HMS Victory” is always a special experience as it is the surviving tall ship of that time. Sailing adventures, crew’s stories and their battles with the rough seas were told through paintings many times but I am sure not all of them were painted yet.
Daniel has just completed his Art GCSE so we were interested to know what he painted for his GCSE project. I had two GCSE projects; one was based on the mid battle of 1812, between USS Constitution and HMS Java and the other based on a battle of Trafalgar (Oct.21st 1805) with HMS Victory breaking through the line.
My first artwork was chosen and exhibited in Alfred East Art Gallery. It was a “Youth Open 19” exhibition and the atmosphere of an open day was fantastic! Everybody was so excited. It was amazing to see so many young and like-minded people.
What are you going to do next? I am very interested in Admiral Richard B. Beechy’s work, so I will continue to study his work. I’ve done two reproductions of his art pieces and would like to do more. The work of
old masters fascinates me and I would like to learn their ways of achieving certain effects. I hope I will pick up some valuable
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