London


<p>New exhibition <em><a href="https://www.johnmitchell.net/artist-detail/239739/james-hart-dyke" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Yosemite</a></em> has just opened at John Mitchell Fine Paintings in Mayfair (runs until 12 Dec) and Muddy caught up with its creator, artist John Hart Dyke, to discover more about his epic artwork. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="768" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/11/2.-James-painting-below-Half-Dome-Yosemite--1024x768.jpeg" alt="James Hart Dyke Painter " class="wp-image-7097" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/11/2.-James-painting-below-Half-Dome-Yosemite--1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/11/2.-James-painting-below-Half-Dome-Yosemite--300x225.jpeg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/11/2.-James-painting-below-Half-Dome-Yosemite--768x576.jpeg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/11/2.-James-painting-below-Half-Dome-Yosemite-.jpeg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<p>A landscape painter specialising in extreme locations (such as remote mountain ranges) who often endures physically demanding expeditions to reach them, Hart Dyke is also a former artist in residence for The British Secret Intelligence Service and has accompanied the then Prince Of Wales (King Charles) on Royal Tours. Muddy gets the lowdown on the highbrow. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tell-us-about-your-new-exhibition-yosemite"><strong>Tell us about your new exhibition Yosemite&#8230;</strong></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="1024" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/11/1.-Pink-and-blue-evening-light-on-Half-Dome-2024-oil-on-acrylic-on-canvas-112x112cm-1024x1024.jpg" alt="Yosemite painting by James hart dyke " class="wp-image-7076" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/11/1.-Pink-and-blue-evening-light-on-Half-Dome-2024-oil-on-acrylic-on-canvas-112x112cm-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/11/1.-Pink-and-blue-evening-light-on-Half-Dome-2024-oil-on-acrylic-on-canvas-112x112cm-300x300.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/11/1.-Pink-and-blue-evening-light-on-Half-Dome-2024-oil-on-acrylic-on-canvas-112x112cm-150x150.jpg 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/11/1.-Pink-and-blue-evening-light-on-Half-Dome-2024-oil-on-acrylic-on-canvas-112x112cm-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/11/1.-Pink-and-blue-evening-light-on-Half-Dome-2024-oil-on-acrylic-on-canvas-112x112cm-500x500.jpg 500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/11/1.-Pink-and-blue-evening-light-on-Half-Dome-2024-oil-on-acrylic-on-canvas-112x112cm-1100x1100.jpg 1100w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/11/1.-Pink-and-blue-evening-light-on-Half-Dome-2024-oil-on-acrylic-on-canvas-112x112cm.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Pink and blue, last light on Half Dome, Yosemite</em> 2024</figcaption></figure>



<p>In 2022 I received a commission to make a landscape painting of a vineyard in Napa Valley, California not far from Yosemite. At the same time a mountain guide, Armin Fisher, who lives in California and who has accompanied me on several mountain painting expeditions, suggested the Yosemite Valley as a subject.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Despite Yosemite being saturated in climbing history, <em>Free Solo</em> and <em>Dawn Wall</em> representing two of the more famous films recently made there, it was the deeply passionate and spiritual writings about the valley by the 19<sup>th</sup> century Scottish naturalist and author, John Muir, that ‘ignited’ my desire to paint there. Equally, it was Muir who persuaded President Theodore Roosevelt, during a now famous four-day camping trip to the valley, to make Yosemite into a National Park, a significant development for world landscape conservation.</p>



<p>In November 2023 my painting dealer, William Mitchell, and I travelled to California where we teamed up with Armin Fisher. It’s somewhat unusual for an artist to travel with their painting dealer however William was instrumental in setting up the project. After returning to the UK&nbsp; I spent the last year working on a set of paintings, in my Brighton studio, using the <em>plein air</em> oil studies and photographs that I made of the Yosemite Valley.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-long-were-you-in-yosemite-national-park-and-where-did-you-stay-nbsp"><strong>How long were you in Yosemite National Park and where did you stay?&nbsp;</strong></h2>



<p>We stayed for a week. Armin ‘marched’&nbsp; William and I around Yosemite, searching for vantage points for me to paint from. I had bought a small oil painting set to make studies with. It was an exhausting week as we covered a lot of ground and at points were running to get to locations before the sun went down.</p>



<p>In the evenings we would return to a small canvas tent cabin, which we rented, at Curry Village situated in the&nbsp; Yosemite Valley. The valley is extremely well managed, you need to buy tickets to enter the valley.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-was-it-hard-to-work-in-such-an-isolated-environment-nbsp"><strong>Was it hard to work in such an isolated environment?&nbsp;</strong></h2>



<p>Having worked in very remote areas of the world, especially the Himalayas, Yosemite was for me populated. Being able to paint in the landscape and then return to a purpose built cabin in an accommodation area with restaurants and shops was a great luxury. &nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-you-re-known-for-capturing-epic-locations-where-s-the-most-dramatic-place-you-ve-painted-nbsp"><strong>You&#8217;re known for capturing epic locations, where&#8217;s the most dramatic place you&#8217;ve painted?&nbsp;</strong></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/11/3.-James-painting-on-the-summit-of-Mont-Blanc-2022-1024x683.jpg" alt="James painting on the summit of Mont Blanc  Image©Pascal Tournaire" class="wp-image-7077" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/11/3.-James-painting-on-the-summit-of-Mont-Blanc-2022-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/11/3.-James-painting-on-the-summit-of-Mont-Blanc-2022-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/11/3.-James-painting-on-the-summit-of-Mont-Blanc-2022-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/11/3.-James-painting-on-the-summit-of-Mont-Blanc-2022.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">James painting on the summit of Mont Blanc &nbsp;Image ©Pascal Tournaire</figcaption></figure>



<p>Although the Himalayas have epic landscapes, the most dramatic place I’ve painted from was from the summit of Mont Blanc at sunset.</p>



<p>In 2022 William Mitchell (an experienced climber as well as my painting dealer), set up a project to follow in the footsteps of Victorian artist Gabriel Loppé, who painted the setting sun from the summit of Mont Blanc in 1873, accompanied by Virginia Woolf’s father, Sir Leslie Stephen. &nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-if-you-could-save-just-one-of-your-paintings-which-would-it-be-and-why"><strong>If you could save just one of your paintings which would it be and why?</strong></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="736" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/11/4.-Shadow-of-Mont-Blanc-from-the-summit-2022-oil-on-acrylic-on-panel-30x42cm-1024x736.jpg" alt="Shadow of Mont Blanc from the summit 2022 oil on acrylic on panel " class="wp-image-7078" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/11/4.-Shadow-of-Mont-Blanc-from-the-summit-2022-oil-on-acrylic-on-panel-30x42cm-1024x736.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/11/4.-Shadow-of-Mont-Blanc-from-the-summit-2022-oil-on-acrylic-on-panel-30x42cm-300x216.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/11/4.-Shadow-of-Mont-Blanc-from-the-summit-2022-oil-on-acrylic-on-panel-30x42cm-768x552.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/11/4.-Shadow-of-Mont-Blanc-from-the-summit-2022-oil-on-acrylic-on-panel-30x42cm.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Shadow of Mont Blanc from the summit</em> 2022 oil on acrylic on panel </figcaption></figure>



<p>It&#8217;s the painting I made from the summit of Mont Blanc, depicting the shadow of of the mountain at sunset. It may not be the most impressive of pictures, a fast oil study made on a piece of 30x42cm MDF, but it&#8217;s the result of a powerful union between the physical and aesthetic, the product of a lifetime of painting landscapes. It required intense concentration to make that painting, on a level I had never experienced hitherto. The work is not just a physical embodiment of a journey to the top of a mountain, but in a way a celebration of life.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-you-were-artist-in-residence-for-the-british-secret-intelligence-service-got-any-gossip-we-promise-not-to-tell-nbsp"><strong>You were artist in residence for the British Secret Intelligence Service, got any gossip (we promise not to tell)?&nbsp;</strong></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="1024" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/11/5.-Toy-Duck-MI6-2011-oil-on-canvas-45x45cm--1024x1024.jpg" alt="‘Toy Duck’ 2011 oil on canvas by James Hart Dyke " class="wp-image-7079" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/11/5.-Toy-Duck-MI6-2011-oil-on-canvas-45x45cm--1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/11/5.-Toy-Duck-MI6-2011-oil-on-canvas-45x45cm--300x300.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/11/5.-Toy-Duck-MI6-2011-oil-on-canvas-45x45cm--150x150.jpg 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/11/5.-Toy-Duck-MI6-2011-oil-on-canvas-45x45cm--768x767.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/11/5.-Toy-Duck-MI6-2011-oil-on-canvas-45x45cm--500x500.jpg 500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/11/5.-Toy-Duck-MI6-2011-oil-on-canvas-45x45cm--1100x1100.jpg 1100w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/11/5.-Toy-Duck-MI6-2011-oil-on-canvas-45x45cm-.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">‘Toy Duck’ 2011 oil on canvas</figcaption></figure>



<p>The MI6 assignment was a super challenging project requiring me to work in secret for over a year. Subject matter ranged from sketches made in ‘secret’ dingy offices to the painting of plastic toy ducks. I will never look at a toy duck in the same way!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-an-average-day-for-jhd-nbsp"><strong>What&#8217;s an average day for JHD?&nbsp;</strong></h2>



<p>My average day is fairly pedestrian. School run followed by coffee/email session at Soho Beach House, Brighton, then to my attic studio, or as my family call it ‘The hole in the sky’. I paint for as long as I can until school pick up. Dinner with my partner and children. Kids bedtime followed by a bit of ‘free’ time or I sneak back into my studio for a late session. Not a day goes by where I don’t paint or draw something</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-your-cousin-s-performer-miranda-hart-dyke-any-more-creatives-in-the-family-nbsp"><strong>Your cousin&#8217;s performer Miranda Hart Dyke, any more creatives in the family?&nbsp;</strong></h2>



<p>Yes, <a href="https://www.tomhartdyke.co.uk/">Tom Hart Dyke</a>, a professional horticulturist, author and orchid specialist. He&#8217;s well known for being kidnapped in Columbia by the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) while hunting for orchids. He survived to tell the tale! </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-are-you-working-on-next"><strong>What are you working on next?</strong></h2>



<p>Planning a painting expedition to the Karakoram in Pakistan, although I’m also keen to make more paintings of the beautiful South Downs which surround my home.</p>



<p><em>Yosemite is on view at <a href="https://www.johnmitchell.net/artist-detail/239739/james-hart-dyke" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">John Mitchell Fine Paintings</a> in Mayfair until the 12 Dec.</em></p>


Five minutes in conversation with artist James Hart Dyke

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