“Encouraged to pursue art by a supportive family and teachers who recognised my natural talent, I would often be found, pencil in hand spending hours drawing comic book characters or natural scenery,” says artist Harry Frost. He has been passionate about creating art through the mediums of painting and drawing since early childhood. Later on in his education, it became clear to Harry “that art was a way of communicating a perspective on the world” inherent in him.
Harry progressed through senior school education choosing to take art and design as one of his primary subjects. He went on to study Fine Art: Painting at the University of Edinburgh in the UK. During and following his degree course, Harry says he was fortunate enough to exhibit his work in galleries and art shows. “These opportunities allowed me to engage with the public and experience creative dialogue about my artistic practice. This reinforced and validated my chosen profession.” Harry is also a “keen learner outside of a formal art education” and explores artist books, galleries, and online resources to improve his knowledge, techniques, and skills.
Although his degree is in painting, Harry says the tactile nature of drawing has always intrigued him. “From pencils to pastels, paints to pens, being able to engage with the practice of mark-making and the immediate connection from the mind to the hand is something that shapes my creative process,” he says.
In his current work, Harry uses fountain pens and ink to create art, but these tools also serve another purpose. “The flow of the ink from the nib of the pen is a meditative process that allows me to fully engage with the story I wish to tell with each particular drawing,” he explains. Harry is also an avid sketchbook keeper and says he uses sketchbooks as a way to observe and connect with the world around him, resulting in a collection of drawings that speak to a moment in time. “Aside from my present drawing practice, I am very interested in the materiality of both oil paint and chalk pastels and how their inherent qualities enhance my ability to create depth and life through colour harmonies,” he adds.
Harry refers to himself as a “visual magpie.” He explores, discovers and engages with the nuances, intricacies, and little details of life and nature that often go unnoticed or missed. “Leaves blowing in the wind, clouds gathering in an open sky, or an empty barn among fields and fence posts are all translated through the process of drawing,” he says.
Harry is inspired by the opportunities that present themselves during his creative process. “I’m incredibly excited by the possibilities of drawing and visual creativity as a means to evoke an atmosphere and generate an emotional response that has the potential to transport the viewer to a particular place and time,” Harry says. When creating ink drawings, he primarily works from his own reference photographs or quick sketches that he has taken when exploring his surroundings. “Before putting pen to paper, I decide on compositional choices that support the specific mood that I wish to convey in the work. In addition, I consider the tonal values and light that give atmosphere to the work. I try to balance visualising where each individual pen stroke will go, whilst also keeping in mind the artwork as a whole and letting the drawing evolve naturally.”
Harry’s approach to painting is similar, as an idea may have been triggered by an aspect in the natural world that captured his interest. “Whilst I may use my photographs and sketches as initial inspiration, in my intent to convey the emotions that I felt at a particular moment in a specific place, I rely on my own imagination,” he explains. “The work evolves as the idea percolates and synthesizes through the process of painting and my manipulation of oil paint. Some of my paintings are representational, my purpose being to convey the play of light, mood, and atmosphere of a specific place and time. Other works are more visionary in nature as in my collection ‘New Lands’ where my aim was to create a sense of intrigue and invite the viewer to speculate and imagine the landscape.”
Harry is currently working on a new series of ink drawings responding to the changing seasons, landscape, and the natural world around him. During his recent travels, he has discovered new places, experiences, and sights that he will translate through his art practice in the coming months.
Harry recently had the honor of working with the band Caamp to create a drawing that would illustrate their 2023 concert tour poster. He hopes to be involved with equally fantastic projects in the future. “I am also currently in the process of creating drawings commissioned by unique and independent producers along with private commissions for individuals,” he says. “These are often very special drawings of maybe a natural landscape or specific place, tree, plant that has a very strong emotional meaning for the intended recipient.”
View Harry’s illustrations and follow his ongoing creative process on Instagram: @harryfrost. His portfolio of selected ink illustrations, oil paintings, and pastel drawings can be viewed at www.harryfrost.wixsite.com/harryfrostartist.
