Upon first glance, it is evident Australia-born Jamie Boyd’s work exhibits the talents of an experimental, versatile artist. Scenes of live music illustrated by prismatic subjects and colors; mellow landscapes that appear almost nostalgic to the eye; a fauvist bouquet of flowers – all creations of Boyd, and magnificent ones at that. His past mediums include printing lithographs, etchings with paint, and presently, acrylic and oil on canvas as well as pastel and paper on canvas. Starting off simple, his process begins with working from watercolor and pencil sketches. If they capture the mood of the moment, he finds they can be used again and again–each time developing a new aspect of the scene. Illustrious artists Vincent Van Gough and Henri Matisse are a few of his influences in addition to his father–from whom he gained most of his technical knowledge. He has a studio in East London where a majority of his figurative work is done and he commonly explores Italy and Australia to find the subjects of his landscape paintings.
In 2012, seven of his works based on Haydns ‘Seven Last Words’ were selected for the City of London Festival. Guildhall School of Music and Drama has commissioned him and Tavistock Centre in London, England has displayed his works to the public. When it comes to starting a new piece, Boyd sees no rush. “I think about it for a long time,” he admits. “Vague ideas swirling around in my head, and then you sense when the moment is right to tackle the canvas.”
