Artist in conversation: Dominic Latham
“ The further I get through my journey, the more I am able to capture the beautiful essence of African wildlife in a more personal and in depth way”
Dominic Latham is a passionate artist and conservationist based in London. He skillfully blends his love for painting with his commitment to wildlife conservation, aspiring to make significant contributions to the preservation of nature through his art. Dominic's artistic journey spans various subjects, driven by his concepts and commissions. However, he harbors a special fondness for African wildlife and their habitats, which often take center stage in his creations.
Dominic regularly embarks on trips to Zimbabwe, lasting up to three months. These journeys serve a dual purpose: they provide him with the reference material for his paintings, and allow him to actively participate in conservation efforts. From conducting wildlife surveys to participating in snare sweeps, Dominic is hands-on in his commitment to preserving the natural world.
Over the past three years, Dominic has diligently honed his skills, cultivating a distinct style that captures the raw beauty and majesty of wildlife. His ambition now is to bring his artwork into the public eye, sharing his passion for art and conservation with a wider audience. As he continues to grow as a wildlife artist, Dominic Latham remains steadfast in his mission to use his art as a powerful tool for conservation.
What initially inspired you to become an artist, and how did you develop your unique style?
Growing up on a farm, I was always a creative with a keen interest in nature and the outdoors. At school I studied biology, design & technology and geography, which allowed me to develop my understanding of all these things I love. During a three month trip to the bush of Zimbabwe before heading to university, I began sketching the animals that I saw, which then lead on to a side hustle of drawing peoples pets throughout my studies. Eventually, with a degree in zoology from the University of Bristol, I headed to London with a job involved in the construction of hospitals in Africa. Less than a year into the job, covid came along and threw a curveball my way. I decided to pick up a paintbrush and start painting some of my favourite subjects, being African animals, alongside my ongoing pet portraits. With the extra time that covid gave me to think about what it was I really wanted to do, I came to the conclusion that becoming an artist would give me a great deal of fulfilment. Combining my interests of the outdoors, nature and creating, I could head out into the world and capture my experiences on canvas. Through doing so I could hopefully make a difference to those who purchase my art, but most importantly the animals that I so love to paint, which put together really inspired me to quit my job and pursue a full time career as a conservation artist. In terms of developing a unique style, I have experimented in many ways of painting my subjects, and have therefore developed a range of unique styles. I recently had my first solo exhibition, where I had 70 pieces of work on show, almost all focussed on wildlife. The feedback I got on the range of styles was really lovely to hear, as everyone seemed to show a keenness on a different selection of my styles, but an appreciation for them all. With sales being made across the board of styles, it has inspired me to maintain a breadth of how I express my subjects on canvas, and I wish to develop and improve in all of these styles in the future.
In terms of subject matter, what themes or motifs do you frequently explore in your work, and what draws you to these topics?
Being a wildlife lover, my subject matter almost always includes wild animals that I have experienced myself. My aim of the paintings is to allow the viewer to get an essence of what I felt when I witnessed my subject in person, whether that be the character of the individual/s or the whole mood of the scene being portrayed. In trying to capture the subjects character on canvas I will often make the focus of the painting the animal, with a minimal or abstract background, whereas when capturing the mood of an entire scene I will try to include as many features of the setting as possible. I’m drawn to these topics as they make the artwork personal to me, taking me back in time to particular moments spent with special individuals. It is the feeling I get when I’m in the presence of my subjects that I wish to portray to my audience.
Can you discuss a specific piece or project that challenged you as an artist, and how you overcome those challenges?
In my earlier paintings I was always intimidated by the idea of painting the whole landscape behind my subject, as whenever I would try I would struggle to bring in the element of depth, or at least the amount that I wanted to create. I decided that I was referring my colours to the reference material too closely, or perhaps I was seeing them to be darker than they actually were, and so the paintings backgrounds were too vivid and dark. I decided that to overcome this challenge I would create a scene from my imagination, referring to my painting ‘Pride Rock’. Of course, I used reference material for the foreground and the subjects but I pushed myself to make up the background from my imagination, with the aim of creating a softness made up of light hues to throw everything backwards and create more depth. I found the exercise extremely useful, and have learnt that when painting backgrounds I should use more subdued colours and shades than I would usually think to create the desired depth.
Can you tell us about your journey as a wildlife artist and how your passion for conservation has influenced your artwork?
My journey started on a trip to Zimbabwe, where I spent three months in 2016 volunteering on a game ranch called Chishakwe. I was involved in collecting and organising scientific data of the flora and fauna, as well as performing snare sweeps alongside other environmental/conservation activities. With my camera in hand during our day to day roles, I started to build a collection of wildlife photographs, of which I took to the challenge of drawing a selection. Since then, I have developed my skills, now specialising in oil paintings of African wildlife and the landscapes they occupy. My passion for conservation has come hand in hand with my artistic journey, as without it the journey may not have begun. One of my series of paintings focusses on African animals that are surrounded by the flames of a bushfire. The flames signify the destruction and loss of the animals precious habitat, being the number one threat to African wildlife. The series’ aim is to increase the awareness of this issue, as well as to raise funds for conservation initiatives. Therefore, 20% of the sales of this series, and hopefully more in the future, have and will be donated to the African Wildlife Conservation Fund.
How do you capture the essence and beauty of African wildlife in your paintings, and how do you hope to raise awareness and contribute to conservation through your art?
Capturing the essence and beauty of African wildlife for me begins on the ground, capturing the animals and the environment they occupy through photography and sketches that I can then use as a reference. The more I develop as an artist, the less I like to rely on others experiences, with almost all of my current and future works being based on my own photographs and observations. I find this to be crucial in creating my art, as I find myself more connected to the work throughout the process, which I think comes through in the end result. The further I get through my journey, the more I am able to capture the beautiful essence of African wildlife in a more personal and in depth way. I wish to raise awareness and contribute to conservation through series of artworks aimed at enlightening my audience to certain threats, one of which being my bushfire series as previously mentioned, which is raising funds for conservation initiatives. I also get stuck in in any ways that I can when collecting my reference material in Africa, such as monitoring on the ground and collecting scientific data.
How do you stay connected with other artists and keep up with new developments and trends in the art world?
Instagram is my preferred way of keeping up with like-minded artists and trends in the art world. I try to make new connections along my journey to expand my knowledge and aid in my direction. I find talking to fellow wildlife artists a useful activity, in hearing how they are finding the market and how they are going about getting themselves out there, which is one of my upcoming goals. Having spent the past few years building a portfolio of works, I intend to now build up a network in order to keep up with the trends and developments in the art word to therefore expand my horizons.
How do you incorporate feedback from critics and audiences into your artistic practice, and how do you balance this feedback with your own artistic intuition?
Feedback so far has mostly been received from friends, family and other connections. Although most feedback has been greatly positive, I always welcome critique for improvements in my artwork. In my earlier stages, it was suggested I should do an art course in oil painting to help improve the process that I build up a painting. Although I slightly resisted the change in process at first, I more and more refer back to my learnings from the course, showing the value of this feedback I was given. It has allowed my painting ability to progress in ways it may have struggled to without. But generally, feedback often goes alongside my own artistic intuition, with my concepts often being approved by those I communicate them too. I do however wish to receive critique from a wider audience in the future.
How do you stay motivated and inspired despite any setbacks or creative blocks you may encounter?
Setbacks and creative blocks are a common struggle to deal with. Some days are just cant find the creativity to produce something. On these days I might work on my website, my social media or try and be productive in other areas of life. When trying to motivate myself to create, I will often get a bit of exercise done followed by the starting of a new project, sketching out new concepts and ideas, which I find really gets the creative juices flowing. Or, I visit nearby galleries, or simply research into other artists works - what they are creating and how they produce certain affects. This helps me to get into the zone and back on to my current projects. My biggest motivation however is getting back to where the inspiration of my work comes from, out on the ground. Although the African bush is a little tricky to get to for the sake of creative blocks, getting out and about on the farm, or to a local park in London, with camera in hand I am able to receive instant reward for my efforts, which I find can kickstart my creativity back in the studio.
How do you feel about exhibiting your artworks with The Holy Art Gallery?
I exhibited with The Holy Art Gallery for the first time in September, and had a great experience in doing so. It was great to see my artwork up surrounded by a variety of different styles, with a busy opening viewing. It was the first time for me exhibiting anywhere and it felt great to have my work viewed by a large audience, and I had some wonderful feedback and comments from those that attended. I look forward to exhibiting at events like this in the future.
Looking ahead, what are your long-term goals and aspirations as an artist, and how do you plan to achieve them?
My long term goals include growing my brand and the products I have to offer. I wish to become better known not just for the benefit of myself but to help in any ways I can from a conservation point of view, be it fundraising events or spreading the knowledge of the problems that wildlife is facing throughout the world. I wish to produce paintings and series that can portray these issues for these reasons. In order to get there I am setting myself goals at smaller levels and intervals. Getting my artwork out there being at the forefront of this. With my first time exhibiting at all being at The Holy Art Gallery in September and my first solo exhibition of 70+ artworks in December, I believe I am on my way to achieving these goals, bit by bit.