AS he prepares to exhibit his own unique style of painting in Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis next month, artist David Knight - a teacher at Giggleswick School - talks about what inspires him, how he inspires others – and the creativity that runs through his family.

DAVID Knight admits the inspiration behind his art is “more lyrical than lateral”. While many of his pieces are fairly abstract, often with a landscape element, they are, he says, “mainly an emotional response as opposed to a literal observation.”

His interest in creating a sense of a certain place through light, colour, surface texture, movement and atmosphere is one that both challenges and inspires his pupils at Giggleswick School where David is celebrating 20 years of teaching art.

Still passionate about giving young people the opportunity to find a sense of their own identity, David believes art is a great subject for the creative side of the brain. “Students can develop their own strengths, generating ideas and pursuing their interests. Some children may not be as strong at more academic subjects, but they shine in art. In some schools it is becoming almost an elitist option, but at Giggleswick we give everyone the opportunity to try.”

When David first went to Giggleswick, the art department was in a building on the site where the sports hall is today. Two decades on and the department has grown and now inhabits the Glover Art School, a faculty developed from the extensively renovated former school sanatorium. The open plan nature of the building means younger pupils are often working alongside sixth formers, giving the younger pupils something to aspire to.

“We are very fortunate to have great facilities here. It’s an inspirational space and the pupils appreciate the views across to Attermire and the limestone fells above Settle,” said David.

Many students have used the local landscape very successfully within their sixth form A Level art work or the Cambridge Pre-U course which allows students to produce an in depth body of work on a certain aspect of the local landscape. And it’s a subject matter which features heavily in David’s own work which he says can be seen in quite different ways: “They could be microscopic studies of a small part of the landscape; or they could be seen as satellite images looking down onto the landscape.”

It’s style which differs quite markedly from David’s wife, Margaret Uttley, a full-time artist who paints in a more figurative style, although both are well known locally through exhibitions in the area and their connections with Gavaghan Art and Studio Vault galleries in Settle. David and Margaret are also about to exhibit together at the Lanntair Arts Centre in Stornoway – the show runs from May to July and has been inspired by a number of trips to the Outer Hebrides.

Their creative streak also runs through the family: daughter Emily, a professional jeweller and Old Giggleswickian (OG), runs Studio Vault and was asked by Burberry to design a one-off jewellery inspired cape for exhibition at London, New York, Los Angeles and Shanghai. Their other daughter, Lauren, also an OG, is working for Burberry, London, after studying art at Giggleswick and costume design at Edinburgh University.

Said David: “I like it when there is a strong crossover in many creative areas, when painting, sculpture, ceramics, jewellery, design become interlinked. I also listen to a lot of music. It is a purely abstract form of art and yet it feels completely real; nobody really questions why they like music, it is, quite rightly, just accepted as something both beautiful and relevant. I would like my paintings to be looked at with a similar open mind.”

In keeping with his broader spectrum philosophy, David has always tried to encourage his pupils at Giggleswick to experiment across the creative disciplines. It is one of the reasons he has always appointed a ceramic ‘artist in residence’ on a one-year contract at the school, working in the studio on their own professional projects as well as teaching.

David said: “We are one of very few schools nowadays to offer life drawing. This is an excellent way for students to improve their drawing skills, but we also approach the classes in a highly experimental way through collage, printmaking, three dimensional work, textiles and this really broadens the possibilities of what drawing could be.”

He also actively invites a wide range of outside artists into school to work with pupils and share ideas and inspiration with the whole department, a practice which boosts creativity.

They include Dave Fortune, a printmaking technician at the University of the West of England and the deviser of water-based screen printing who is a regular guest, running workshops, as is wife Margaret. Animators Kettu film studios, from Skipton, whose CV includes working with Aadman Productions on ‘Wallace and Gromit’ and making music videos for Radiohead, also recently worked with pupils particularly interested in film/animation.

David said: “I believe it’s really important to broaden horizons by seeing what other people are doing. I am always on the lookout for talent to invite into school. We are all about trying to encourage our pupils to think independently and come up with their own ideas. Working with artists from all specialisms, along with the residency, gives a variety of inputs which introduces different skills not only to the pupils, but also to us teachers, which is always interesting.

“We always have at least four or five students who continue onto art and design courses, at places including Central St Martins, London, Leeds College of Art, UCL, London and Glasgow School of Art.

“As someone for whom art has been such a significant part of my life, it is inspiring for me to see the progress pupils make. We can give them strong, important fundamentals which they need to embrace and understand before they progress - such as drawing, experience with materials and a range of techniques, through to experimentation and how an idea can develop and evolve. These are important areas and once they have these, anything is possible!”

For more information about Giggleswick School visit the website: giggleswick.org.uk or phone 01729 893000.