Self-defined as a tonal painter Stephen Doyle has been painting for some 20 years. His subject matter spans quite a broad scope including interiors and still life. In fact he candidly admits that he is propelled by his desire to paint the “perfect painting”. Stephen was invited to become a member of the esteemed Twenty Melbourne Painters Society Inc in 2010.
AC: Describe your art in a sentence.
SD: An objective look at the play of light on surfaces.
AC: Who or what inspired you to become an artist?
SD: I saw a small exhibition consisting of still life paintings in a local bank and fell in love with the way they were painted. Having never seen this tonalist style before, this gave me a longing to paint just like that.
AC: Why do you paint the scenes you do?
SD: Anything can be paintable depending on the light. Whether it be the beautiful greys and reds of a back alley street in Melbourne, to the subtle shadows of skin tones in a portrait to the brilliant colours of flowers in light. It is the quality of light that inspires me to paint the scenes that I do.
AC: What music do you listen to while painting?
SD: I don’t listen to music whilst painting; I listen to talkback radio, together with Herman Pekel (the artist in the adjoining studio)!
AC: Tell our readers something about yourself that may surprise them?
SD: I live next to Caulfield Racecourse and horses have always been a passion of mine.
AC: What is your favourite thing about Spring?
SD: Living in Melbourne, we enjoy all four seasons in one day. If I’m not freezing or sweltering, it must be Spring!
AC: What is your favourite quote or saying?
SD” “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop”, Confucius
Exhibiting at Red Hill Gallery, Brisbane, September 2013
