Paul Dove - Motorsport Artist

Paul Dove is our Artist of the Month for January. His dynamic art is instantly recognisable and collected worldwide; here is a brief insight into what happens in his studio. Ever since visiting the Coys Historic festival at Silverstone in 1994 Paul Dove has had a love for classic racing cars and their history. When his dream of life as a professional artist started to become reality the subject he really wanted to portray in his art was his passion for the automobile and its history. Although Dove studied art at school and college, unusually for a professional artist his style is mainly self taught: “I would say my painting technique is a combination of realism and impressionism”. Acrylics are Dove’s favourite medium, allowing him to paint quickly, gradually adding in more and more detail as the artwork comes to life. Dove creates preparatory layout sketches in pencil, often working from historical photos particularly when exact settings and backgrounds are needed or the correct period details of the car are required. These drawings form the basis of the paintings that themselves sometimes evolve quite dramatically as paint is applied to canvas. A talented artist whose paintings are in high demand, he doesn’t just concentrate on cars. “I also like to paint aviation, maritime and film related scenes. I love trying to capture the atmosphere of these subjects” says Dove. As well as attending The Goodwood revival meeting annually he can often be seen driving the lanes around his Cornwall home in his classic mini. He still attends the Silverstone meeting every year that sparked his interest almost 25 years ago. His original art and limited editions can be viewed here.