For a long time I have admired the artwork of and to be honest he is one of my favourite figure artists on DA. It has been amazing watching him progress in his work, slowly developing and improving his style. His work as well as his advice and guidance has helped me as well as many other traditional artists on DA improve. What amazes me the most, even with work that is worth singing praises to he is down to earth guy, always willing to help and listen, as well as share his experiences in selling his artwork, dealing with galleries, and discuss almost any topic in art.

Recently he has won first prize in the Combined Brisbane Rotary Art Show, invitation only show, for the painting "Portrait of Carol" I would like to invite the Deviant community to congratulate him for his achievement.

Can you introduce yourself?
" My name is David Wells, I'm 29 from Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia. I've been a professional circus/street performer for the last 11 years, I like tattoos and doing stupid stuff throwing around sharp things. I'm also the eldest son of a professional artist ~RobertG , and as such have been dragged around to art galleries and openings since literally before I was born."

What drew you to the art world and topics you visit in your work? What inspires you?
"I've been floating around the art world my whole life, but was allways to scared to join in, knowing I just wasn't in the same league as a hell of a lot of people I knew. Having a really top notch education about art also teaches you how crap you really are when your starting out, so I stalled for like, 20 years before getting over myself and jumping in. As for topics I never really had any doubt as to what I would paint, I love women, nearly all my best friends are girls, no contest really. I guess I also choose portraits and figures because every single great artist in history pretty much has done work on those subjects, and I want to throw myself against the wall and challenge them. So far they are winning...
I'm in a constent state of being inspired, I love the effects of light on skin, you see it everywhere, allways changing."

What are your favourites of your work and why?
"Hmmmmm my favorite works of mine? Its a hard question, mostly because the answer changes a lot with my mood, which also chages a lot (ffs never date me I'm a moody pain in the butt I tell you)
Lately I'm really happy with my pastels, having break throughs with a new medium is a great feeling. Portrait of Carol I think is very much a clear example of what I'd like to think my own style is. Marcela was a great painting, wish I still had that one. Stormy is also very close to my heart, really was a huge step foward. Obviously anything I've done of Karen means a lot to me also."

You recently won the award for figurative work can you tell us a bit about it?
"Yeah that was cool First prize in my section (which oddly enough was Works Incorprating the Human Form) in the Combined Brisbane Rotary Art Show, which is on atm if you peoples wanna go have a look. I was pretty happy to win since I was up against stiff competion, lots of fairly well known people who put prices like $5000 -$7500 on paintings that I beat. Plus the judges were people I respect and would like to impress. Oh and I got $1000. I win all round really I'm thinking I should maybe enter more comps. I've been in 7 so far ever in my life. 3 firsts and a second place. Judges like me it seems."

What are your experiences of the "real world" artworld that you would like to share with other emerging artists?
"Set your ego to bulletproof and follow me! Rawr! It's rough and mean out there, I've fallen back on my years of experience going through the same thing as a performer. It sucked then and it sucks now, but you can get to the other side, or so I'd like to believe, as long as you want it enough, and don't give up. Keep in mind it works the same way as DA (IE huge popularity contest, mostly about who you know, being in with the incrowd and stuff like that) however the real world is coming from a slightly different angle as to what is the valued form of arts. For example, I really don't recomend taking digital anime, or a pencil drawing of Jack Sparrow down to the local art gallery, even if it does have 10 000 favs on DA. I would seriously suggest getting a market stall somewhere if possible, sit there and grit you teeth and try and sell stuff. It sucks. It hurts. It makes you want to give up. It also forces you to get better, and learn to interact with real people who buy art. You'll find your little corner of the market place. Just think of it as carrying buckets of water up slippery steps for some cranky monk who kicks you in the head when you get there. Take pebble out of old mans hand. Patience grasshopper. That sort of thing."

How do you approach your art? What methods do you use?
"I develop my ideas very clearly in my head, do a lot of lying awake at night and that sort of thing. Then I go out and find a model, take photos that match the idea, then I just go about working out how the fuck I'm going to paint it.
I keep my images and colours as simple as possible. Strong lines, limited colours, simple compostions.
Technically I try and do everything the simplest possible way to get the result I want. Its not about being a great master of paint, its about not doing anything A. stupid. Or B. that you can't do. Leave out those things and your paintings look better allready. The KISS princible."

How is it growing up and creating in shadow of your father's work ? Do you ever feel free from it?
"Well I kinda did think I might, then I did pastels, and a Seascape....dunno what I was thinking. (Dad is famous for doing ocean scapes in pastels)
The thing is he has allways been encouraging and given me a great education about art. Now that he doesn't really paint anymore, he has passed on a lot of contacts and clients to me, including an invite to the competion I just won, however because our styles are so different, I've had to find my own path mostly, he has NO idea how to sell nudes.
The pressure comes from myself more then anywhere. Its one of those things all eldest sons go through, leave home, stand on your own 2 feet and challenge your father, be a man I guess. I just have to go through it with art as well, which kinda sucks. As I said till just recently, there's been less directly comparing us, since we had nothing in common style wise...but I blew all that I'm gradually being recognised in my own right I hope. $1000 is the most he's evey won in a comp, so I'm on a par there. I dunno its probably all just a stupid male ego issue more then anything "


Some of my favourite work of David's includes:


So now go out there and give him some love! (: