“The Rural Surrealist”

David Blakemore, affectionately dubbed “The Rural Surrealist” by Country Life magazine, is a British painter whose work captures the quiet drama and poetic oddities of the English countryside. Based in the Cotswolds, where he draws constant inspiration from the region’s haunting beauty and timeless character, Blakemore creates paintings that blend classical technique with surreal undertones.

Blakemore trained under Scott Pohlschmidt at the esteemed Lavender Hill Studios in south London, where he was fast-tracked in the rigorous, traditional methods of figurative painting. This classical foundation remains at the core of his practice today. Combining disciplined technique with imaginative composition, his paintings often emerge from a fusion of studio-based still life, field sketches, and memory — all unified by his masterful control of light and shadow.

His works evoke a sense of stillness and mystery, often balancing the familiar with the unexpected. Whether portraying rural architecture, weathered objects, or dreamlike juxtapositions, Blakemore’s unique vision brings a contemplative surrealism to pastoral themes.

In 2019, his growing international appeal was recognised when several of his original works were acquired by Coast Gallery in Big Sur, California, where he became the sole British artist represented in their international collection.