Fine Art Magazine January 2019

A R T I S T F E A T U R E K A Y D A V E N P O R T S P R E A D S H E R W I N G S Nature and wildlife have always been the inspiration behind Kay’s work. During the summer months she leaves home at dawn in order to see and hear the world waking up, the dawn chorus an exquisite soundtrack to the sight of dew-laden flowers opening or bees which are still dormant on a bloom. Her most recent collection has been largely inspired by the diverse bird life around her home in rural Cheshire. Kay has been painting professionally for over 20 years. The defining moment in her career was being taken by her sister to an exhibition of work by wildlife artist David Shepherd. She recalls: “One of the paintings contained a bramble bush covered in frost. I remember standing and staring at all the many colours he had used to create the frost – I was fascinated by the blues, greys and purples combining to produce that beautiful image and it was at this precise moment that I decided I wanted to become a professional artist.” Kay creates her foreground in oils as she loves their versatility and their quality of allowing the perfect blend of colour and texture, but lays this against an acrylic background. She also occasionally embellishes a piece with gold or silver leaf to highlight details. She describes herself as having a rather dreamy, happy nature KEEPING WARM , Original Painting , 21” x 42” and she believes her personality comes across in her work, saying: “My work is the personalisation of how nature looks and feels to me.” 26 KAY DAVENPORT ARTIST FEATURE