ANTHONY LEWIS DOWELL
BORN 1965

After 30 years as award winning creative in advertising, I have now returned to my boyhood obsession of painting. Heavily influenced by artist such as Van Gogh, Lautrec and the post impressionists, I now produces contemporary paintings inspired by their vivid unnatural colours, bold geometric forms and powerful brush marks. I'm a colourist by nature and an Art Director by education. This fusion of influences has created something unique.  A desire to produce work in traditional medium of Oil paint, fuelled by intensity of the digital zeitgeist. Light, colour, design and iconography of the creative industries. You can draw a direct correlation from the world of the early impressionists straight through to contemporary advertising. It always intrigued me that Lautrec was a graphic designer as well as a painter.
 
My art teacher once asked me: "what are you going to 'do' when I leave school Anthony"?  "I think I’m going to graphic design school or art college". Maybe Toulouse had a greater influence on me than I thought at the time. As it turned out I followed the advertising route and really have no regrets, but I do often wonder what would have happened if I’d chosen painting and the arts instead of being an Ad Man?
 
Well, now's chance to find out. I invite you to join me on my journey. Please follow me on Instagram to catch up on what I'm doing, and smash a like or leave a comment, and if you like what you see, maybe even purchase an Ant original.