Man Resting with Bicycle (2020) Painting by Digby Chacksfield

From a family of educators and scientists Digby was encouraged to draw from infancy, his grand mothers were both painters and this familial support to create art has been with him to this day.   When Digby was 16 he undertook a period of work experience for the artist Alan Cotton where he learnt the discipline needed to develop a career as an artist.  He was significantly influenced by his art tutors at Exeter College who nurtured, encouraged and supported his art and he got a distinction in drawing. This led him to study Fine Art at university where he experimented with everything including printmaking, book art, animation, post art and performance art often utilising play as a transformative process from one state to another. Digby later to undertook a Masters in Arts Education where he explored the creative process in business context and how people use creativity to learn their jobs.  

Despite this encouragement, learning and practice of the arts Digby spent a period away from the creation of art, as a Teacher, Development Manager and Chief Executive helping people to set up social enterprises in the UK.  Digby began to feel an inner pull and a strong, compelling urge to return to art practice and in 2018 he established Life Drawing East where he teaches, encourages and practices drawing.  Digby had a been producing increasing amounts of artwork amid the COVID crisis of 2020 and is proud to have created over 40 works in a mixture of media including: pencil and charcoal drawing, acrylic paint, water colour and ink. 

• Nationality: UNITED KINGDOM
• Date of birth : 1973
• Artistic domains:
• Groups: Contemporary British Artists