Heather Bellamy spoke with Christian artist Oliver Pengilley
Heather: When did you first begin to paint? Please could you give us a bit of your background?
Oliver: I was encouraged from an early age to draw, my father and mother both being artistic. I would spend hours copying images from wildlife books, I loved to draw nature and animals. I went through many different phases growing up though and taught myself how to draw many things including comic book characters, movie stars, trees and tigers.
I continued to draw till I was about 11yrs old and then started to paint, in Acrylic. The pictures changed in subject matter as I left school, focusing more on things I could create myself instead of just copying. College was a great opportunity to spend more time developing my own style, although animals were still a strong focus point for me.
Heather: What does art mean to you personally? What are you trying to achieve?
Oliver: Art is a way of speaking to people, relating to emotions we all have...but not just leaving it there, I like to show the answer, Gods love for us all, the hope and freedom there is in knowing him personally, as a father.
There are people out there with real answers for those in need, but often get shut down quickly in conversation, words take time to sink in and make sense to a generation that is fed on images. A picture speaks to the heart, it by-passes the logical side of the brain and can touch people in an instant. I want my pictures to show Gods love, and to help those that already know him, to hear him and connect with him more easily.
Painting is also a great way to express the prophetic, people often get images from Jesus that speak to people in a very personal way.
Heather: What sort of things do you paint? What's your favourite painting you've done?
Oliver: I always like to include wildlife and nature in my paintings, along with an atmosphere that creates the desired mood. I want all my paintings to glorify God and this can be done in many ways, through what he has created, to aspects of my walk with him spiritually. I want to include the natural and spiritual.
Favourite painting, well, there are paintings that I feel have taken my work into a new area, these paintings are about 6 months to a year apart and I cherish each one. They hold a certain memory for me and my walk with Jesus.
Heather: Describe the process you go through when doing a painting? How do you get the ideas?
Oliver: Like I mentioned earlier, I started with copying photos of things that inspired me. I always take my camera with me on walks, and am always taking my own photos of things and people that I know I could use in a painting. I have a huge library of photos now. But over the last four or five years I have been spending more time with Jesus and he shows me pictures in my heart and then, in some cases, I look for the photos that will help me express the visual image I have been given. This picture can be for just one person the Lord wants to speak to or a group of people.
In other cases I just start to paint during worship times in church services and let the Holy spirit guide me and tell me as I paint what to paint!
When I start to paint, I always start with the light, keeping the light is the most important thing. I want to draw people into the painting, so I often have darker edges to the painting.
Oliver, absoultly love your work, and passion.
i have always had a deep passion for creation aswell and love to paint. / sculpt and have applyed to go to art uni in september. and would love more than anything to allow God to use the gifts hes given me to his glory. been real engouragement hearing about your work and faith. hope God continues to use your gifts to the max!!
john