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BIOGRAPHIES
BARSBY, ADAM
Born in Leicester in 1969 Adam showed an early artistic talent which would
eventually lead him to graduate from Kent Institute of Art and Design in
Maidstone with a First Class Honours Degree. Following his graduation in 1992
Adam worked on several freelance projects for art galleries and magazines whilst
developing his distinctive style. In 1996 he decided to commit himself to
painting on a full time basis. His confidence was soon rewarded by invitations
to exhibit at many prestigious galleries throughout the UK and the highly
successful launch of his range of Limited Editions and Original Silkscreen
Prints.
Adam draws his inspiration from the romantic element of the world around us, and
describes his work as developing on a natural slant from story-telling. His
unique view of life, characterised by stylised images, rich colours and thought
provoking narratives, continue to take the art world by storm.
Adam's unique talent has gained him the prestigious John Solomon Trophy for Best
Selling Artist of 1998, Best Up and Coming Artist for 1999 and three nominations
for Best-Selling Published Artist 2000, 2001 and 2002 from the Fine Art Trade
Guild. Demand for Adam's Original Paintings continues to grow and although his
Limited Editions and sculptures sell out on publication, but he is still seeking
new creative outlets for his ideas.
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BOSWORTH, GRAHAM
coming soon
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BOYCE, KAY
Kay Boyce was born in Sheffield. As a child she would often spend hours
at a time drawing on rolls of wallpaper; this was the beginning of her passion
for drawing. Kay Boyce studied illustration at college before working as a
Freelance Illustrator. She produced editorial work for Woman's Weekly, Bella, My
Weekly, Sunday Express and Woman's Own.
Boyce's illustration work has carried her through to major book publishers such
as Hodder & Staughton, Wadsworth Romantics, Mills & Boon and Mandarin. Although
Kay Boyce is proud of her achievement in commercial illustration her true
vocation is as an artist.
Boyce's career as an Artist has flourished; her pastel and pencil drawings have
become instantly recognisable. Kay Boyce is often to be found working in her
studio at her home in the Glyn Morlas valley, near Oswestry, with the background
voices of Radio 4.
It is her empathy for the female form in movement, combined with a love of
original Victorian clothes and antiques which she collects that inspire her to
produce the soft, yet sensual images that have become her trademark. There is a
fine line between eroticism and sensuality and Kay Boyce achieves the right
balance. Kay Boyce also draws inspiration, from famous works such as those by
Edgar Degas, Botticelli and Alma Tasimer: their use of composition and how they
portray the texture in their materials intrigue her.
Kay Boyce rarely titles her images herself, although there is one particular
title that holds a place in her heart: 'Little Lizzy', this is the pet name her
Father gave her when she was a young girl.
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COULSON, GERALD
After leaving school, Gerald Coulson began a career in
the aircraft industry as an apprentice aircraft engineer
after which he served eight years in The Royal Airforce.
His combined knowledge of aircraft engineering and his
drawing ability took him into technical illustration,
from which he developed his painting technique with no
formal training.
His full-time career as a painter began in 1969 and he
has since enjoyed enormous success for both his original
and published work, His work is regularly exhibited both
in the UK and the USA and his published work has earned
him many Fine Art Trade Guild Awards.
Since 1990 Motor Racing subjects have joined the already
impressive list of landscape and aviation titles.
Collectors eagerly await the publication of each new
title in this collection of Motor Sport Limited Editions
which owes its success to Gerald's technical accuracy
and his mastery of speed on canvas.
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COULSON, LAWRENCE
Lawrence
Coulson grew up surrounded by his famous father’s evocative paintings. The
artist had a great love and enthusiasm for cars and would often draw his
favourite models repetitively on pieces of paper gleaned from his supportive
father. Unbelievably, his early love of all things artistic only earned him a D
grade in the subject at school. Business called as it always does to school
leavers and Lawrence went into retailing and worked his way to the top of a
local family firm as the sales and marketing manager.
It was during this time that his father once again encouraged him to pursue his
artistic talent by suggesting that he should try painting and in his
professional opinion the paintings that followed were very encouraging.
Several paintings and a months later the artist was given the opportunity to
display some of his work in a local pub in Cambridge – no more than a week later
he had sold his first painting for £30.00. His painting continued throughout
the eighties during any spare time that was available and gradually built up a
good reputation with the galleries in his local area who were starting to sell
more and more of his work.
His “big break” came in the mid-nineties when a friend suggested he display his
work at the restaurant he owned on a commission-free basis. A private
exhibition was held soon afterwards and many of his paintings were bought by
galleries and art collectors alike.
Over the next year,
Lawrence Coulson was
under pressure to work harder than ever before, using up every minute of his
spare time to keep up with demand while still working his full-time job as
manager. It was only at the point of complete exhaustion that he realised that a
choice between the two careers had to be chosen.
Independence Day, 1997 he officially declared himself an artist. With galleries
selling out and public interest forever rising, one could say that this artist
has gone from strength to strength defying so-called academic odds and proving
himself as a professional.
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CURLING, PETER
Born in
Waterford in Ireland in 1955, Peter Curling spent his early years in
County Clare before moving to England with his family in 1963. In
England he won an art scholarship to Millfield, where his work was
seen by Aylmer Tryon, founder of the Tryon Gallery. Tryon was
impressed enough with Peter Curling’s abilities to arrange that he
visit Florence to study drawing with the eminent tutor Signorina
Nerina Simi.
He returned permanently to Ireland in 1975 to devote equal attention
to horses and to art, riding out for Eddie O’Grady and even riding
his own horse, Caddy, to victory at Limerick Junction in 1985. Peter
Curling therefore paints in the equestrian world very much from ‘the
inside’ and he is a familiar face on racecourses around Britain.
Now running a thriving stud farm in Tipperary, Peter Curling
produces young horses for the National Hunt market with such success
that he topped both National Hunt sales in Ireland in 1998. He also
trains his own racehorses and point-to-pointers and often hunts,
which he believes has heightened his awareness of the landscape. Now
so successful in the art world that he has taken the conscious
decision to accept no more commissions, preferring to concentrate
instead on work which inspires him, Peter Curling originals are now
exhibited at prestigious venues all over the world.
His limited edition print, Istabraq, raised over £100,000 for
leukaemia research in 1998.
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DAINES, SHERREE VALENTINE
Sherree was born in Effingham in Surrey. After completing her early education, she studied at the
Epsom School of Art, where she undertook a fine art course. A young, sensitive
and highly accomplished artist, Sherree has a fascination and love for people
and the social scene. This passion is shown through her impressionist style on
canvas. Her paintings of Henley Regatta, Royal Ascot and more recently her
images of tennis and golf, have made Sherree particularly renowned in the
sporting world. Many will remember Sherree being featured on BBC Television
painting the Test Cricket Grounds. Sherree is a highly accurate and factual
artist. Her insistence on authenticity and her careful eye for detail has been
recognised resulting in an important commission on the British Sporting Field
which has enhanced her growing reputation as a prominent sporting artist.
Sherree has had many successful exhibitions at venues such as the Mall
Galleries, the Royal Portrait Society in London. Important collectors of her
work include members of the Royal Family.
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DOYLE, PAUL
Born in
Coventry, and educated at the the City of Coventry Boarding School,
Paul left school at 16 in order to train as an apprentice
draughtsman. Paul's first love however is, and has always been,
painting. In fact, on leaving school he lied about his age and
entered the Herbert Art Gallery's open exhibition for aged eighteen
and over, in Coventry. Even at this tender age he had two of his
three works accepted, one of which was singled out for particular
praise by the then Lord Mayor of Birmingham.
Paul tried to further his education by taking night school classes,
to study art as an A-level. This was to be short lived as, by the
third lesson, the art teacher had given up, informing Paul that he
should be teaching the class, not studying in it.
Having finished his apprenticeship, Paul went to work designing
graphics for a video unit, which then progressed to designing
graphics for large conferences which had the added advantage of
travel, taking him all over the world, from Europe to Japan.
Although Paul enjoyed his work, he did not enjoy the stresses that
went with it, such as the commuting and deadlines. He felt like he
was watching his life disappear when there were so many other things
that he wanted to do. This is hardly surprising when he tells us
that aside from painting, he is obsessed with creating models out of
Fimo, and wood carving. He has recently achieved one of his great
ambitions, which was to paint a huge mural of badgers onto the side
of his Warwickshire home, for which he obtained the blessing of the
other villagers and council permission. His long term aim is to buy
and convert an old barn. Most importantly he is pursuing a career as
an artist.
With this in mind, he visited the Spring Fair at the NEC in search
of a publisher and was gratified to come away with several of the
major publishers interested in his work. He has now been making a
living from his pictures since the middle of 1997 having joined with
Sally Mitchell Fine Arts who released his first three prints in
October 1997, to considerable success.
1998 was a great year for him with the release of a further five
prints in the spring, all becoming hot sellers. This is no accident,
and it is not just down to raw talent, with which he is well
endowed. Paul is hard working, and a realist. He understands that
great art is not created overnight, and that simply creating a
pretty picture is not enough. Great things are set to come from this
artist! 1999 saw his first major sell out, 'Dog Tyred' which went in
less than three months.
The Millennium has started well for Paul becoming a finalist for The
Fine Art Trade Guild 'Up and Coming Artist of the Year' and his
follow up to 'Dog Tyred'; 'Up Periscope' launched in February looks
set to go the same way as it's predecessor. He has also been
commissioned to produce five sets of collectors plates over the next
eighteen months for Danbury Mint, while the sales of his paintings
seem to have exploded! If all that isn't enough, he achieved
considerable acclaim in Mexico where he demonstrated in Mexico City.
Paul's other interests are as diverse as you would expect, ranging
from motorbikes, in particular old English bikes, to animals, with a
minor obsession for tigers, although any sort of animal holds a
fascination for him. He lives with his two Border Collies, Paddy and
Belle.
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EVANS, TERRY
Terry Evans was born in 1943 in Romford, Essex. He is a big,
outgoing and popular man, which he modestly puts down to being born
under the sign of Aries the Ram. He started painting for
self-satisfaction; his subjects were portraits, racing-cars and
dogs. He dabbled with watercolour and acrylics, and then he tried
oils. He explains that this was a turning point in his career as he
found the expressive freedom of working in paint that stayed
workable for days. A second breakthrough came when he used oils to
paint landscapes. By popular demand he turned professional and for
many years he has enjoyed a runaway success. The renowned artist
Charles Lefar inspired his unique and distinctive style. It is
characteristic of Evans that he openly acknowledges the debt that he
owes to the older artist. But Terry Evans has taken the approach
further and developed it into a unique style of his own. An “Evans”
is much more detailed and crisper in technique than his mentors
work. Not only does Evans wield his palette knife with aplomb but he
also adds fine subtle touches with a thin long–haired sable. He
generously loads the canvas with oil paint, lavishly applied with
gusto. The canvas groan under the weight of his impasto sculptured
landscapes. The penny-pinching disciplines of formal fine art
training are completely unobserved. Terry Evans has also added his
own subject preferences to the style. The paintings tell of a
wilderness with running water, rock, glades, pools, mountains, trees
and flowers. His pictures are of unspoilt nature in the raw. Not
even an old rotting fence-post is allowed to spoil these landscapes.
No-where in an Evans will you find a trace of mankind? He has
exhibited in his own one-man shows in Langres Gallery New York,
Stravanger Norway, Rubens Gallery Miami, Singapore, London and
elsewhere. His pictures ere collected by a wide public, among
others, The Russian Ambassador to London, Barclays Bank and the
Queen of Ghadaf Saudi Arabia. The Queen gave him a personal gift of
an 18-carat gold pen and pencil set when he delivered her paintings!
He says that he only wants to produce good work. The result is an
abundance of lavish lush landscapes that exude a love of oil paint
and a lust for organic unspoilt nature. The paintings are sensual
and physically tactile, the observer wants to touch the paint, but
beware, the paint stays wet for months.
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FEARNLEY, ALAN
Alan is
acknowledged as one of the leading automotive artists in the world.
Born in Yorkshire, Alan studied at Batley College of Art. His early
works established Alan as an artist of unique talent and quality.
About thirty years ago, he started to move away from semi-abstract,
topographical and landscape compositions towards transport
orientated mechanical subjects, especially motoring and motor
racing. The work that started to flow reflected not only his special
skills, but also his love and passion for both motoring and motor
sport. The classical and romantic mood created through his lifestyle
paintings has broadened the appeal of automotive art, whilst the
movement, attention to detail and sheer quality of the motor sport
paintings has established demand for his original works and limited
edition prints throughout the world.
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FORREST, TONY
"My artistic ability emerged at a very early age. At the age of eight I have a
clear memory of having a fascination with ‘paint by numbers,’ and painting
overtook any other form of amusement. I’m happy to say that I no longer use this
artificial technique!
During my secondary school years in Devon I excelled in art, and by the end of
my school life, art seemed the most appropriate and natural career path for me
to follow. The big catalyst for me, however, was watching a film about the work
of David Shepherd. It was so exciting and inspiring that it immediately sparked
off my interest in painting wildlife in oils. After leaving college in Cornwall
in 1982, I gradually made the transition from technical illustration to oil
painting over the following eight years.
By 1990 I was painting wildlife full-time, and following my first solo
exhibition at Marwell Hall (Marwell Zoological Park) in Hampshire, I began my
regular visits to Africa. I have been traveling to various countries in Africa
ever since and feel that my work improves with each exciting trip, as well as my
understanding of the natural world. The inspiration for the work I do comes from
the animals and the landscapes that I see around me. Hardly a day goes by when I
don’t see something that makes me wonder what it would look like as a painting!
I always try to imagine how I could ‘improve’ the real thing and create a more
powerful effect in paint. It is largely the light and atmosphere around the
subject that makes me want to paint it. Given the choice of a cheetah with no
light or a dead tree in glorious sunlight – I would sooner paint the tree.
Whenever possible I also like to remind people about conservation. It has been
said many times before, but we really are the only destructive creatures on this
fragile planet. If we don’t look after this world, which belongs to all life -
not just the human race, we and everything else around us will eventually suffer
the consequences."
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GILKES, JONATHAN
Jonathan Gilkes, an Artist
whose supreme skill and versatility recognise no boundaries, has long been
acknowledged as one of the nation's finest painters of the female form. Now,
with the publication of his first wildlife studies, Jonathan Gilkes is destined
to achieve the same status in this genre, not only because of the hyper-real
nature of his images, but because his techniques with light and texture, his
sheer skill and artistry, breathe living movement into his subjects. Born in
1963, Jonathan Gilkes studied at Camberwell School of Art where he specialised
in Life Drawing and the study of Art History, in particular the Dutch Masters of
whom De Heem and Vermeer have most influenced his work. A traditionalist who
totally rejects modern paintings aids and shortcuts, Jonathan Gilkes invests
inestimable hours of painstaking work into every image he creates, working
scientifically with the inherent properties of his medium, building layer upon
layer of paint and glaze until he achieves the smoothest of surface finishes and
perfect realism in tone and texture.
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GOLDSBROUGH, RAY
Ray Goldsbrough, as a youngster living in Sunderland,
spent a lot of his free time drawing, and by the age of 13, his art teacher
helped Goldsbrough to get into Sunderland Art College
as a day release student.
Eventually Goldsbrough went on to study full-time at the college, initially on a
year's General Studies course, then on to a three year Graphic Art course, more
commonly known then, as Commercial Art.
On leaving college with his portfolio, Goldsbrough was employed by one of the
biggest print firms in Newcastle and was taught the finer aspects of commercial
art, lettering, logos, finished art and illustrations- a great foundation for
the work he now does for Solomon & Whitehead Publishers.
About 11 years ago, Ray Goldsbrough was offered the opportunity to take early
retirement - computers cannot take the place of a drawing board and paintbrush!
So he decided to 'go it alone' and pursue what had been a hobby and turn it into
a career. At first, he completed work mainly for family and friends, but an
ex-colleague who was a follower of Motor sport, and had seen a gap in the market
of motor racing art, approached Ray. A copy of a picture of Jim Clark, which he
had been commissioned to paint was sent to the Motor sport magazine with a press
release and this led to various commissions and exhibiting work at various motor
sport events.
In 1995, Ray Goldsbrough was approached by Solomon & Whitehead who asked him to
produce a painting of Carl Fogarty for publication, and the rest as they say, is
history. Some ten Limited Editions have been published in the 'Foggy' series and
have all Sold-Out.
The only medium Ray Goldsbrough has used is gouache (watercolors) - he has not
dared to venture away from the tried and tested materials that he was brought up
with. Goldsbrough feels that over the last seven years, his style has changed
and that he has become more daring with the use of vibrant colour, which is not
lost in the Publishing process.
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GOVINDER
Govinder Nazran trained at
Bradford
Art College, where he studied Graphic Design in the early 80's.He went on to
study at London Art College, completing a Diploma in Graphic Design,
specialising in Illustration, in 1985.
After six months in London, he moved to Cambridge and continued to work in
Freelance illustration. After getting a job as a designer for a greetings card
company with responsibility for product design he moved back to Bradford in
1987.
In 1990 he joined an artists' agency, working on licensing, product development
and directing photographic shoots which handed him a prestigious position as a
photographic art director with a mail order catalogue. He spent the next year
travelling around the world on fashion shoots.
In 93 Govinder Nazran returned to working freelance on card designs and having
built up a reputation through his work, he approached the fine art market with
thoughts of getting his designs published.
Govinder entered the fine art market in 1999 and has since published a number of
silk-screens and lithographs. He was recently voted The Best-Selling Published
Artist 2004.
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HACKING, GRANT
Having spent his
childhood in South Africa, he had early exposure to the wild animals
that he depicts including tigers and zebras. He began his art career
by doing portraits in the army of high-ranking officers and of
historical buildings. In 1990, he moved to the United States,
working at Macy's Department store in Chicago. In 1996, he took Best
of Show and First Place VIP Choice at the "Southeastern Wildlife
Exposition."
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HARRIS, CHRISTINA
Christina Harris has been painting for as long as she can remember but it is
only within the last two years that her work has been available to the public.
After attending Leeds Art College she followed a career in teaching until,
deciding life is too short, gave it up in November 2004 to become a full-time
artist. Christina uses paint to great effect to create the depth of fleece found
in many breeds of sheep, whilst the simplicity of a grey or white background
serves to emphasis the lonely, uncompromising moods of a Yorkshire winter. Her
work is regularly featured in exhibitions, with occasional individual shows, all
of which have been very successful. She is now represented at selected galleries
in Yorkshire, Cumbria, and London and her work, often special commissions, has
travelled out to Australia, Canada, France, USA and Japan, as well as being
widely collected in the UK.
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HEERDE, DICK VAN
Born in Venlo,
in The Netherlands, in 1954, Dick Van Heerde began painting in oil
on canvas at the age on ten. After school, he began to learn the art
of restoring paintings dating from the seventeenth century. He
completed his apprenticeship in three and a half years, after which
he worked for several years as a self-employed restorer of
paintings. Studying the techniques used by the old masters began to
heavily influence his style of painting. Before launching into his
own career as a professional artist, he worked for some time as a
laboratory assistant for a paint manufacturer and learned the finer
chemistry of colour pigments and paints. To begin with, his
paintings were typical of the surrealistic style. However, he soon
decided to specialize in wildlife, still-life and landscape scenes,
and today, Dick Van Heerde particularly enjoys painting European
landscape, although he is predominantly a wildlife artist. In 1989,
he made his first trip to Tanzania, where he developed a passion for
painting the magnificent scenery and wildlife. Dick Van Heerde has
since traveled extensively around Kenya, painting and sketching.
Wildlife and landscapes have always been the main source of
inspiration for his unique works, which have been exhibited at
galleries in Holland and Germany. During the autumn of 1997, Dick
Van Heerde’s work was featured in a major wildlife exhibition at the
Tryon and Swann Gallery in London.
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HIGGS, WARWICK
Born in London, Warwick left college at the age of 21 to pursue his vocation
full-time as a painter. Being a keen naturalist, animals and birds provided the
main inspiration for his paintings. His first one-man exhibition was in London
in 1976. It was a near sell-out and afforded Warwick the first of many trips to
the United States, where he found a considerable amount of interest in his work
and a good market for his paintings.
Increasing demand for his work has enabled him to support his chosen charities.
Warwick comments that "I am constantly aware of how fortunate and lucky I am to
be a painter. I love the wildlife that I paint and if I bring pleasure to those
who view my paintings, then I feel I have succeeded in my work".
Warwick lives in Surrey where he also has his studio. He has completed numerous
commissions for the advertising industry, charities, corporations and publishers
and his work is included in collections in Europe, Japan and USA.
The first titles in the 'Images to Make You Smile' series were published in 1995
and were an immediate success with new images being added every year. In 1996
and 1999 Warwick was nominated as a finalist in The Fine Art Trade Guild Awards
and in 1997 he won the Best Up and Coming Artist Award as well as the Gift of
the Year Award for 'The Owl and The Pussycat'.
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HILDICK, PETER
Peter was born
in Twickenham, Middlesex, just after the end of the Second World
War. During his earliest years Peter drew on any surface he could
find.
His techniques developed throughout his primary education supported
and encouraged by his family. The family moved to Bath in Somerset
when he was eight and Peter discovered a love of wildlife in the
surrounding countryside.
Moving on to secondary education he found that he was expected to
concentrate on painting and his drawing was discouraged. Other than
occasionally providing drawings for relatives and friends, he lost
his creative urge and it was not until 1991 - after a career in the
Royal Navy during which time he rose to the rank of Chief Petty
Officer - that the passion for drawing resurfaced.
He successfully exhibited in the P.A.W.S. Competition in 1991 and
1992.
With encouragement from his wife and friends, Peter produced and
submitted a pencil drawing and a watercolour to the P.A.W.S. 1993
Competition. Both were accepted and exhibited - the first time one
artist has been successful with two entries - and a special award
was introduced for pencil drawing.
In 1994 another pencil drawing was submitted (Baby Love) which won
the Chaffin award for Best Monochrome Picture and the North Light
Trophy for overall winner of the P.A.W.S. 1994 Competition. Building
on this success Peter decided to place more emphasis on his drawing.
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HILLIER, MATTHEW
Matthew Hillier's extraordinary wildlife paintings offer the viewer
a unique vantage point. His paintings express more than the physical
characteristics of a species; they reveal something of its
personality.
Now living in the U.S., Hillier was born in Buckinghamshire,
England, in 1958 and grew up near Windsor Castle. Drawing and
painting animals is something he has loved to do since he was a
child. Hillier's father was a museum designer who taught his son the
rudiments of painting with watercolor, a medium Hillier used during
his years as an illustrator, along with gouache. In recent years,
when he made the transition from an illustrator to a wildlife
artist, he also switched to acrylic because it involves a looser
painting process.
Traveling widely in search of subjects to study and paint, Hillier
has visited Africa several times (where he was charged by an angry
elephant), India, other parts of Europe and Southeast Asia. He loves
the big cats and rhinos and finds himself drawn to water birds.
Since moving to the States, he has begun painting North American
subjects in addition to the dramatic African and bird subjects for
which he is renowned.
When doing field research, Hillier sketches and also takes
photographs, finding that while the photos are very useful for
details of color, shape, background and texture, sketching forces
him to "observe in a way that I don't when I take a photograph...I
need the observation that comes from sketching. It's how I get to
feel the subject."
Hillier studied at Dyfed College of Art in Carmarthen, West Wales,
graduating with distinction. Three of his paintings were accepted by
the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, and he has exhibited regularly
at the Pastel Society, the Society of Wildlife Artists, where he is
a council member, The Royal Institute and the Miniature Society, as
well as the Paris Salon, the Royal Society of Marine Artists and the
Biarritz Salon. A member of the Society of Animal Artists, his work
is part of their traveling exhibition. He has participated in
Christie's Wildlife Art Auction, and his work has also been included
in Leigh Yawkey Woodson's touring show of "Birds in Art." He has had
one-man exhibitions throughout Great Britain and has illustrated
several books. In 1995, he won the World Wildlife Fund Fine Art
Award. In 1998 he received The People's Choice Award from The
Florida Wildlife and Western Art Expo, and he has received The
Society of Animal Artists' Award of Excellence in 1997, 1998 and
2002.
A regular contributor to the Guinness Book of Records illustrating
the wildlife section, Hillier spent two years illustrating The
Rhinoceros, a monograph. This entailed traveling to Africa and
Sumatra to study rhinos, after which he produced 20 large plates of
portraits and paintings of five species of rhino, in addition to
behavioral sketches. Rhinos are, he says, "wonderful subjects to
paint."
The love Hillier feels for his subjects is evident in his work. He
will, as he says, "paint anything that moves. I paint animals
because I love animals, and part of loving animals is being
concerned about what's happening to species in the wild."
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HILTON, BARRY
Barry was born in 1941 in
Manchester. Whilst having no formal training, he moved to Cornwall in 1979 where
the experience of working alongside a group of extremely active artists helped
in the development of his artistic abilities.
This is a story of continuing development. He was told that "selling and success
are synonymous" and should this be true then he could certainly be called
successful.
His love of nostalgia which he captures in his paintings of Gas Light Street and
Marine scenes are much sought after and are well represented in private
galleries throughout the UK.
However Barry refuses to be stereotyped and has recently had considerable
success with beach scenes and still life, painted in a very modern style.
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HODGE, SPENCER
Spencer Hodge was born in 1943, and attended the Hastings School of Art and
Royal West of England Academy. After a formal and academic art training he spent
six years illustrating books and teaching material for the Medical Research
Council. The dissection and drawing of the human body which this work involved
gave him a profound understanding of the mechanics and structure of form.
After leaving England, Spencer Hodge travelled widely, undertaking long field
trips for international conservation organisations such as the World Wide Fund
for Nature. He journeyed to places such as India, West Africa, the United Arab
Emirates and, particularly, the game rich areas of Tanzania and Kenya.
Many of these trips culminated in successful exhibitions to raise funds for
specific conservation projects including, for example, a Bahamas National Trust
exhibition under the patronage of, and opened by, HRH the Duke of Edinburgh
which targeted the rare Bahamian Parrot.
Spencer Hodge has acquired a reputation as one of the finest wildlife artists
this century, and he counts HRH The Duke of Edinburgh and HSH Prince Rainier
amongst his many admirers. His work is exhibited by leading galleries throughout
Europe and America and over 40 of his limited edition prints have now been
published.
Spencer Hodge’s passion for nature and wildlife has proved to be an
inexhaustible source of inspiration throughout his career. The many hundreds of
hours spent studying wild animals and birds in their natural habitat are truly
reflected in the precision and realism of his dramatic work.
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HODGES, GARY
Gary Hodges was born in 1954, and has had a deep love for nature
since childhood. In 1979 he began applying his keen sense of observation to his
drawings and is now Britain's leading wildlife pencil artist. He gave up his day
job around 1989 to concentrate on his drawings and, shortly afterwards, began to
publish his limited edition prints himself. By retaining control of every stage,
from drawing, to publishing, to selling, Gary has never had to compromise on the
very high standards he has set himself. He is a genuinely sincere and generous
human being who cares quietly, but passionately, about the conservation of the
animals he draws.
Through his drawings he has already raised his first quarter of a million pounds
for charity and is well on his way towards the second quarter million - a
phenomenal achievement for one individual in such a short time.
Gary Hodges drawings stand out from the crowd because he combines a remarkable
technical ability with a deep feeling for the subject and a sensitive
understanding of its individual character. His sense of design and composition,
often focussing on only a part of the animal, always results in a striking image
that demands the viewer's attention and thought. Others have tried to achieve
the same effect in pencil, but the result often looks ordinary by comparison.
He may use very many different grades of pencil in a drawing. Each grade is put
to good effect as he painstakingly builds up tones and textures, working on
small areas at a time. The range of textures he creates - tough hide, fluffy
fur, preened feathers, dry scales - is extraordinary. Often there is a touch of
humour - the big paw or menacing tooth - but in the end it is the eye that fixes
itself upon the viewer. It is here that he begins each drawing.
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HORTON, PAUL
Paul
wanted to be an artist for as long as he can recall, thanks mainly to his art
teacher who made art such an enjoyable subject. He studies drawing and painting
at Bourneville School of Art, after which he set out on a career within the
printing industry. In 1997 he turned professional, concentrating full time on
art.
Paul is gaining a reputation as one of the leading contemporary pastel artists.
His paintings emerge from a world of imagination with a unique and inspired view
of the world; whether reflecting everyday life or featuring a wonderful
assortment of quirky colourful characters. His work is often humorous and rich
in pathos and symbolism - a world that is both poignant and optimistic. He likes
to think of his art as opening the door for people to enter his world of
imagination and make of it what they will.
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HUNT, ALAN
Wildlife artist and activist Alan M. Hunt considers himself "a
zoologist who paints wildlife." Born in North Yorkshire, England,
Hunt's artistic talents began to show when he was quite young, and,
fortunately, his talents were encouraged by his family. Hunt
attended Middlesbrough Art College in Yorkshire and went on to study
zoology at Leeds College and Bristol University.
Hunt has worked with birds and animals both in the wild and in
captivity, in parks, zoos and wildlife reserves around the world. He
has acted as a guide for birdwatchers and naturalists in Europe, the
Middle East, Africa and North America. Hunt began to paint full-time
after his artwork inspired much interest. Over the years, Hunt has
exhibited his artwork around the world and has gained many honors
and awards. His wildlife art hangs in many public and private
collections throughout the world, including Holland's prestigious
Jacht Museum.
Hunt paints only during the daylight hours; he never uses artificial
light. Working in a variety of media, primarily oil and gouache, but
also ink, acrylic, egg tempera and watercolor, Hunt achieves a
variety of exquisite textures from feathers to rocks. With his
backgrounds in both art and zoology, Hunt has the advantage of being
able to study wildlife from two perspectives - that of scientist as
well as artist. His extensive world travels, observation and
experience with wild animals clearly show in his realistic style of
painting, which is both accurate and evocative.
"I try everything," says Hunt, "I'm not set in my ways. In almost
every painting, I change something or try something different."
A devoted conservationist, Hunt is very involved with worldwide
fund-raising efforts. Hunt makes whatever contributions he can to
conservation causes, as he considers animals first and foremost. He
now concentrates on painting endangered species to draw as much
attention as possible to their threatened survival. "Humans are
destroying wildlife and the planet, and we are animals, too," says
Hunt. "If my son doesn't get to see half the wildlife in his
lifetime I've seen, I'll feel very guilty. Rather than become famous
as a painter, I would like to be remembered as someone who tried to
make people aware of the need to protect the environment and the
planet."
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HYDE, DOUG
Born in Bristol in 1972, Doug became aware of his artistic talent
at an early age. Throughout his school and college education he concentrated on
the technical side of drawing and painting, but after graduation he was in no
doubt as to his chosen career, that of a professional artist.
Doug prefers to produce his distinctive artwork on a large scale, in order to
achieve maximum impact with each piece. He also enjoys operating in plenty of
space, thus allowing himself enough physical freedom to express the creative
energy that is the key to his fresh, contemporary style. His unorthodox use of
pastels applied with fingers and thumbs or even the side of a hand or wrist
allows him to create highly communicative and engaging images that make an
immediate and lasting impression on the viewer.
Inspired by his own emotional responses to life, Doug's intention is to provoke
an emotional response in others; his success in this aim can be seen by the huge
impact his newly released collection has made on the British art scene. As one
of the UK's most innovative and uplifting young artists, we look forward to his
inevitable rise with great excitement!
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JAMES, GARY
coming soon
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KURTIS, ANDREW GRANT
Born in London, Andrew has
always shown a great love for art, even when very young. This was pursued in
latter years whilst working in industry, where he obtained the City and Guilds
diploma. Continuing his studies at Technical College in London he gained
Licentiateship to the Society of Industrial Artists and Designers. He then
continued his education in Graphic Design and History of Art at the Central
School of Art and Design where he successfully completed a Bachelor of Design
degree with honours, progressing through to postgraduate studies where he
attained a Master of Arts degree.
Having worked for many years producing oil paintings on general landscape,
equestrian, architectural and marine subjects, Andrew has established himself
mainly to landscape - especially drawn towards the beautiful mountainous regions
of Scotland and Wales, of which he richly embellishes with a unique method of
atmospheric perspective, capturing all that is typical of a panoramic view on a
sunny summer's day, the play of light on clouds, land and water following 'laws
of nature' to dictate the ever changing moods being captured in oil paint, by
preparing his own pigments and mediums carefully by hand, he maintains the
science and craft of oil painting traditions.
In Andrew's paintings we see all the depth and thoroughness, all the devotion
and patience with which he studies nature, from the giant mountain ranges to the
gossamer lacework of the leaves, from the intricate forms of the clouds in the
sky to a sequestered forest shading wild flowers and woodland plants. Solitude
and tranquillity is seen to permeate throughout his paintings using a palette of
pure colours to produce his recognisable ensemble of subtle tints, in order to
create a painting characterised by a specific technique of portraying
light-suffused, translucent and pure colouring, which tends to emphasize the
richness of the tones and to enliven the various colours with shades of
differing density. His sunlight infiltrates the forest depths or appears in
flashes amid the distant trees, forming an emotional cohesiveness to landscape
compositions.
The various elements of luscious landscape mirrored in tranquil lakes or echoed
in the refraction of trickling streams, these are the attractions that inspire
Andrew to paint, and using a painterly manner approach to his work we see the
many shades of prime colours, the complex colour graduations, and variety of
methods used to apply the paint, all bear witness to the artist's conscientious
efforts at achieving expressiveness in the depiction of nature. He has had many
graphic designs published and his paintings are established throughout the
world, being collected and admired by connoisseurs and patrons of fine art.
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LARDNER, REBECCA
Rebecca was born in Swanage, Dorset in 1971. After
completing an Art Foundation Course she graduated
from the University of Liverpool with a BA Honours
degree in Illustration. She went on to build a
highly successful career as an artist and
illustrator, fulfiling commissions for a number of
high-profile clients including Paul McCartney’s
Music Academy, as well as a range of magazines and
record sleeves.
Influenced by Cornish artist Alfred Wallis,
Rebecca’s distinctive oils on canvas are beautifully
depicted portrayals of life on the land and the sea.
The large ensemble cast of figures, boats and sea
birds creates an impression of ceaseless activity,
and this is heightened by the natural curves of the
classic English harbour which provide movement and
energy. Her palette is based strongly on the colours
of the sea, with blues, greens and greys dominating
the entire canvas.
Rebecca is now able to devote more time to her
painting and has travelled the world from Ireland to
India undertaking prestigious corporate commissions.
She has exhibited in a range of high calibre
galleries in the UK, Europe and the USA and her
evocative oils sell to collectors from all over the
world.
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LOPUSZANSKY, MICHAEL
Michael Lopuszansky was born in
Manchester in 1966 of Italian and Ukranian parentage. He discovered
at an early age his unique gift and the ability to produce, express
or create, in the form of either paintings or drawings. On
completion of his formal education in 1983 Michael embarked on a
college career, specialising in subjects such as natural history and
scientific illustration. He went on to develop an uncanny skill in
the area of fine art. Employing the use of acrylics, he soon
developed a specialism in the use of water colour, a medium which he
continues today. Post qualifying years found Michael working as a
freelance illustrator and lecturer which allowed him the time to
develop a very impressive portfolio.
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MACGREGOR, DUNCAN
Born in Oxford in
1961, Duncan grew up in the Midlands where he still spends a substantial part of
the year. Despite living so far inland, he managed to develop a passion for the
sea, and spent a highly significant eighteen months sailing across the Atlantic
and then around the coast of Britain. He now spends part of the year back home
in the Midlands, and the rest of the time in Scotland. Taking his inspiration
from the surrounding landscape and of course the sea, Duncan is particularly
fascinated by the effects of natural light on colour. His distinctive palette
conveys the cool yet vibrant shades of sea and sky as they appear to his
artist’s eye. Verging on the abstract, his work is characterised by the dense
application of richly textured acrylics, which create a sense of spontaneity and
unstoppable energy. Since turning professional, Duncan has enjoyed immense
success, displaying his work in both galleries and private collections.
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MADJID
Madjid, born in 1943 in Teheran,
comes from a well known Persian family of artists. 25 Years ago he
came to Germany. He lives partly in Hamm (Germany), partly on
Mallorca. His works are represented in important art collections in
Europe, USA and Asia. The artist signs off with three different
names, Pan, Madjid, Rhanavardkar. Rhanavardkar Madjid paints like he
lives. With energy, with power, yet with the tenderness of the
strong. What moves us in Madjid is the sound of his
unconsciously-impressionistic character. To all things he shapes, he
attributes his powerful vitality. His subjects - people, flowers,
landscapes - have their own expressive existence. The visible is
dynamically defined and projected from the unsecurity of light and
movement by expressive brushstrokes.
Born in Teheran in 1943, into the renowned Rhanavardkar family of
Persian artists. He began to paint at the age of 16 under the
tutelage of his prominent grandfather and talented brother, Anousch.
Immediately people were captivated by his effervescent painting
style, because Madjid paints like he lives, with energy and power,
yet with the tenderness of the confident. In 1959, Madjid was
awarded the Iran-French RASI prize for painting. A year later, he
won that competition’s first prize for sculpture. Madjid furthered
his talent under the tutelage of Messrs. Zöllner and Huber in
Munich. Madjid’s unique style combines the techniques of
impressionism with the vibrancy and intensity of expressionism, a
style that he continues to follow today.
In 1966, the artist was featured at Teheran’s ARSEN gallery in a
series of successful one-man and group exhibitions. Over the years,
Madjid has maintained a solid reputation and following. He has lived
in Munich for over three decades and is one of the city’s most
respected artists on the contemporary scene. Today, Madjid’s work
can be found in prestigious collections throughout Europe, Asia, and
the USA. Madjid paints with a rich vitality that touches the viewer
on a subconscious level.
As the viewer travels across rows of trees or fields that stretch in
the distance, he or she is caught off guard by the interplay of
intense light, shadow, and brilliant colour. This, combined with the
artist’s technique of sudden, strong line, produces a striking and
profound effect. Through his lifelong dedication to his profession,
Madjid has rightly earned the title of contemporary master.
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MALLOR, MARISA
Marisa Mallor was born in Alicante, Spain in 1942. She is one of those artists
who had a natural talent from a very early age, she just liked to draw. As she
matured she painted more and more, she was also gathering around her fellow
artists who she became very good friends with, they helped and encouraged her to
go the School of Art in Alcoy. They could see her natural talent but felt she
needed discipline and structure to help her reach her full potential, which I
think you will agree she has succeeded in doing. Her fine eye for detail is
second to none, everyone who looks at her paintings stand back in sheer
admiration, and are left with the thought 'how does she do it?' well in her case
it is born with a talent and working from there, with the help of good friends.
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MILLAR, ALEXANDER
Alexander Millar was born in 1960 into the small mining community of Springside
a few miles outside the town of Kilmarnock on the west coast of Scotland. Life
within the small Scottish village was very traditional and although Millar grew
up in the 60’s era it felt more like the 40’s. Alexander Millar's formative
years were spent in the company of old men dressed in dark suits smoking
woodbines partnered with large missile-shaped women decked out in headscarves
and pinnies.
Millar's father worked for British Rail and he got great pleasure
from simply sitting in the atmospheric steam filled stations which even today
Millar finds are the most romantic, nostalgic places to be. Many of Alexander
Millar's most romantic paintings are set within that very atmosphere.
Alexander Millar escaped school in 1976 and eventually fled Springside to set
himself up in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. This jump from sleepy peacefulness to hustle
and bustle was like going from the frying pan straight into the fire. Alexander
Millar found Newcastle had, and still has, its fair share of characters locally
known as ‘Gadgies’ which fed him much inspiration later on in life when he
finally discovered his destiny as an artist.
After a number of different jobs Millar finally settled down in 1988 to become a
professional artist. Alexander Millar is completely self-taught and after many
years of developing his own style in art, Millar turned to images remembered
from his childhood and used the local Tyneside ‘Gadgies’ as models in his
paintings.
The past couple of years have been especially exciting for Alexander Millar, as
his work has taken on a life of its own. Sales have gone through the roof and
everyone seems to be taking notice of these solitary figures he creates. Millar
is continually surprised to see the effects that his paintings have on people,
on many occasions Millar has had women moved to tears absorbed by a painting
that evokes memories of their father or grandfather. After a number of sell out
exhibitions one Alexander Millar's paintings was entered in the Daily Mail’s
‘Not the Turner Prize’. Ten thousand works were entered and Millar's painting
was chosen as one of the finalists which were exhibited at the Mall Galleries in
London.
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MOSELEY, AUSTIN
Austin was born in 1930 in Tiverdale, which in those
days was part of South Staffordshire. After
qualifying
as an engineer he took up a career as a lecturer
based at the University of Wolverhampton. For many
years therefore his artwork was forced into second
place, but since his retirement he has been able to
devote the majority of his time to doing what he
loves and his atmospheric paintings have become
highly sought-after.
Austin’s richly textured, evocative compositions are
created in oils with the exclusive use of a palette
knife. His primary interest is in the countryside
and rural pursuits of the Black Country, especially
in the early morning and evening, when the sun is
low whether visible or not. He includes figures to
add an element of human interest as well as a
suggestion of scale. These tend to introduce a
certain lightness and almost gently humourous touch
to each image.
Austin’s work has been displayed to great acclaim
all across the UK.
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NEWELL, KERRY
Born
in Leicestershire, England in 1966, Kerry Newell always held a passion for art &
wildlife. Kerry spent hours of pleasure caring for her numerous array of pets.
Although drawing & painting for pleasure has always been part of her life, on
leaving school Kerry put aside 'childish' dreams of ever having the opportunity
to do this for a living. Then a few years ago Kerry's family & friends began to
commission her to paint portraits of their pets. From then on she hasn't looked
back and her life has never been so busy - Kerry Newell is now married with
three glorious children and with her career as an artist going from strength to
strength. As an artist Kerry is completely self-taught, working in a
photo-realistic style using watercolour, acrylic and now predominately pastel,
with some scratch boarding thrown in for fun! Kerry believes that self
criticism is a must (and also a pat on the back when deserved) as is learning by
ones mistakes. Kerry paints in her maiden name in remembrance of her father
Allan George Newell - a man with unacknowledged artistic talent, a great love
and respect for the natural world and a man who never managed to achieve his
life ambition: to trek through the Amazon. |
PEREZ, FABIAN
Born in 1967, Fabian grew up outside Buenos Aires in a turbulent world of
political upheaval during the post-Peron military regime. Such a childhood could
not fail to impact on every area of his life including his artistic ethos,
especially when taken in conjunction with his unconventional upbringing.
At the age of 9 he became fascinated with the
paintbrush, and using watercolors and tempera he painted portraits of his
friends and family. His mother, Edua Herreria, a beautiful Brazilian women, met
his father, a handsome and charismatic ladies’ man, Antonio Perez, in the late
1950’s, in Campana, a small city outside Buenos Aires. They married and had four
children of whom Fabian is the youngest. Edua was the creative force in Fabian’s
life and Antonio was the inspiration for his work. Fabian witnessed his father’s
unorthodox and often difficult life, portraying him in his paintings as “the
cool guy” outside nightclubs and bordellos. Antonio owned a number of brothels
and illegal nightclubs in Campana, and was frequently chased and closed down by
the police. Nevertheless the young Fabian was constantly exposed to
beautiful women who could seduce a man “simply by
lighting a cigarette”. Today we see these “ladies of the night” exquisitely
portrayed in many of Fabian’s paintings - memories of his youth and the
nightlife he observed.
At the age of 16 Fabian was faced with the loss of his mother and 3 years later
the loss of his father. The sadness and despair he experienced left him confused
and searching for answers. In 1984 he had crossed paths with the greatest
inspiration of his life - Sensei Oscar - who later became his teacher, master,
close friend, and father figure. Heartbroken and alone, he therefore found
strength and a degree of inner peace through the study of martial arts.
Then in 1987 Fabian set off on a journey that was to last until the the present
day. After six months in Rio he took up residence in Padova, near Venice, where
he stayed for seven years, studying with Oscar and painting daily before moving
on to Okinawa, Japan. He finally decided to experience a different side of life
in the USA, and in Los Angeles he worked as a busboy and a model, and ran odd
jobs for Universal Studios. With his days full, he painted throughout the night
and considers this the most creative period of his life.
In 2001 two art publishers and gallery owners saw and fell in love with an
exhibition of Fabian’s work. They met Fabian two days later and they formed a
partnership to promote, market and develop Fabian’s career as a fine artist. The
collaboration was an overwhelming success; every painting Fabian created was
sold immediately and the demand for his work exploded. Today his work is
published by DeMontfort Fine Art in the UK.
Fabian wishes not to categorise his style as he does not want to limit himself
or his work. His art is simply the passionate expression of his strong romantic
feelings. Inspired by what is known in martial arts as the Muga (empty mind),
Fabian finds himself in this almost meditative state of mind when he is at work,
and the purity of his creativity flows. He now resides in Beverly Hills,
California, where he paints, plays soccer, trains and teaches martial arts to
close friends. He still travels the world for inspiration.
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PETLEY, GRAHAM
Graham was educated at the
Headley Walter School in Brentwood before attending the South East Technical
College of Design. After eight years of running a gallery in Rayleigh, Essex,
Graham sold the business to concentrate on his own painting.
His work was initially shown by the Whitgift Gallery, Croydon and by Frost and
Reed in London. Since 1990 he has exhibited more widely, and his tranquil
paintings of the Devonshire, Cornish and Scottish countryside, as well as his
native East Anglia, have found their way into many collections.
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RAFFERTY, JON
Born near the village of Spofforth in North
Yorkshire. A self taught artist who believes a picture can be created by colour
alone. Jon likes to work on a textured canvas which helps him obtain the depth
of colour in his paintings. A very strong-minded Yorkshireman who now lives in
the Yorkshire Dales. The peace and quiet of his studio overlooking the beautiful
dale of Nidderdale also inspires him to create such paintings.
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RIGBY, ADRIAN
Born in 1962, in Chorley, Lancashire, Adrian Rigby is a well-known and prolific
wildlife artist, but one who has been able to turn his hand successfully to
other artistic themes as well. He studied art at the Blackpool College of Art
from 1979-1982 and then taught at the same college from 1982-1985. He discovered
his passion for wildlife and nature at a young age and, as a conservationist, he
believes strongly that all birds and animals have a personality which can be
portrayed on canvas, and that their habitat should be preserved. Adrian Rigby’s
art is constantly pursuing higher standards of realism and accuracy. As a
result, he spends a great deal of time out in the field collecting, observing
and noting changes to nature according to the varying seasons. He paints mainly
with oil and gouache, and adopts a slightly different style for each of his
stunning paintings, in which mood, atmosphere and light play an important part.
Adrian Rigby was awarded three prizes at the annual exhibition of The Wildlife
Art Society in 1996. He won “Best in Show” for his painting titled, Rushing
Waters, and also he won awards for “Best New Member” and “Best Overall
Presentation in Show”. Adrian Rigby has held many exhibitions at leading
galleries around the country.
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SEGRELLES
Segrelles was born in an
industrialised town 30 miles inland from Alicante, Spain. He mastered his craft
while painting for the tourist populated areas of Spain, and it is through this
that he caught the attention of the galleries that lie in these coastal regions.
These galleries realised the quality and brilliance of his work, and were quick
to hang his paintings on their gallery walls.
As you can see when looking at a piece of his work he specialises in soft medium
colours, blending them seamlessly to get across the atmospheric quality of his
seascapes, and capturing the mood of the changing climate. He often uses the
same scene in his paintings, but uses the changing weather to dictate the in
colour for the scene and therefore the mood.
He finds himself influenced by Monet and Matisse. Like Monet, Segrelles paints
in a loose style giving no real detail, but the overall effect of his work is
nothing short of spectacular; you can see and feel exactly the mood he is trying
to set. His work is now very well known throughout Spain and is now beginning to
make his mark all over Europe.
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SHEPHERD, DAVID
David Shepherd had no talent in art, painting only to escape playing rugger,
which terrified the life out of him when he was at school! David Shepherd's only
ambition growing up was to be a game warden in Africa, but that potential career
failed before it started. Rather than drive a bus for a living, his father
suggested he went to art school, but the Slade School of Fine Art saw one of his
early paintings of a bird and told him to go and drive a bus. So, David's early
life was, to put it mildly, a series of disasters.
David Shepherd is sure he must be the classic example of someone being in the
right place at the right time. If he had not gone to a certain cocktail party in
Winchester in 1951, he would not be where he is now. David Shepherd was
introduced to a professional painter who told him that he had no intention of
teaching him, even if he did have talent, because he was so busy. However, when
David showed him the bird picture, he saw someone who was so awful that he had
to take David on as a challenge! If David Shepherd had not have met Robin
Goodwin, he would be driving a bus up and down Oxford Street!
After training, David Shepherd began painting
English landscapes, aviation subjects, steam trains, portraits and all the other
things that he is possibly known for, but his career really took off at Heathrow
Airport when he was painting aircraft portraits from life. The RAF noticed these
pictures and they invited Shepherd to travel all over the world with them as
their guest, commissioning various aviation subjects. The catalyst in David's
new career came in 1960 when he was flown down to Aden. He painted a picture
called 'Slave Island' which, when showing it to the Commander-in-Chief, resulted
in 48 commissions from, it seemed, everyone in that part of the world. However,
they then offered to fly Shepherd down to Nairobi where the RAF were based in
those days. They had saved £25.00 and said 'they would like a painting but we
don't want aeroplanes because we fly those all day. Do you do animals?' Up to
that time David had not even painted a rabbit, but he said 'I'll have a try'.
That very first wildlife painting of a rhino chasing an aeroplane off a runway
in Kenya changed Shepherd's life and the rest is history.
With a full order book of commissions as far as
he could see ahead since that first wildlife picture, his ambition has been not
only to continue painting for people who ask for commissions, but now, through
the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation, to fulfil his passionate obligation to
help so many critically endangered mammals on the brink of extinction who have
done so much for him.
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SHEPHERD, MANDY
Daughter of David Shepherd, Mandy
certainly has top pedigree. Clearly influenced by her father's art,
she has nonetheless formed her own unique style that has established
her as a vibrant artist in her own right. Her work shows a
remarkable attention to detail; all the features of her paintings
are captured to a degree which would pass inspection by any subject
expert. This visual accuracy is complimented by an interpretation of
the subject which is unique to Mandy, the subject composition,
foreground and background, sets her apart from other wildlife and
military painters.
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SIMPSON, MICK
Although Mick
studied fine art at Staffordshire Polytechnic it was the traditions
of his home town of Stoke-on-Trent which inspired his love for
sculpture. The famous towns forming the region have created some of
the worlds finest works and respect for the craft of the sculptor
and designer is well deserved.
There are few modellers who can produce accurate and detailed
studies covering such diverse subjects as dogs, cats, African
wildlife and the female form. Mick is one of the few who can achieve
this goal working from reference books, his own drawings,
photographs and observation. Like so many artists and sculptors, his
studio walls are covered in this reference.
Mick is unusual in another way in that he is one of the few
sculptors preferring to model in clay. Mostly wax is used for its
versatility but Mick loves the freedom clay offers and is quite
content to work around its limitations.
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SMITH, DANIEL
Daniel
Smith lives in Montana surrounded by the North American wildlife
that is the subject of his acrylic paintings. Published by Mill Pond
Press since 1991, Daniel Smith's art has been featured in the book
'More Wildlife Paintings; Techniques of Modern Masters' (cover -
Watson-Guptill Publications. 1996). Daniel Smith can be seen in the
video 'Capturing the Moment; The Artistry of Daniel Smith', Daniel
Smith was the 1988-89 Federal Duck Stamp winner. Daniel Smith's
global prominence in the world of wildlife art has afforded his the
honour of creating the original artwork for several international
programs. in 1996, Daniel Smith was inducted into the Hall of Fame
by U.S Art Magazine. Daniel Smith's art eloquently conveys the sense
of wonder to be found in nature. Daniel Smith writes, "I want people
to experience the peace, the tranquility of the wilderness, of being
the only one out there communing with nature."
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SMITH, PETER
"Born in the small town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire I bypassed the well
trodden route to the local industries and follow the somewhat unusual lifestyle
of artist. Along the way I became a surveyor, a computer programmer and
eventually a graphic artist within the fashion industry, a job I enjoyed for 16
happy years. My last two years have been spent increasing my presence within the
art world and honing my skills to the standard you now see before you.
I like to include some form of connection between the items on a canvas, and
quite often the eyes will play a big part in leading a viewer's perception,
imagine yourself looking from the viewpoint of one of the characters, look
around from their point of view inside the canvas observing all the other
objects and try to imagine their feelings - you will then begin to understand
what I really felt when I painted the piece."
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SMITH, TONY
Tony Smith, for as long as he can remember, has had a passion for motor
racing...long before he cycled from Birmingham to Silverstone in 1948 to see his
first Grand Prix, he became completely enamoured with the sport. Given a choice
of model in art school - a racing car would always be his first and favourite.
After graduating from art school with honours and distinction his early career
encompassed Graphic Design and Illustration in the advertising world, but, his
first and greatest love remained painting- which he pursued with a passion in
the evenings and weekends.
Tony Smith's subjects have varied from portrait painting and drawing to planes,
trains and military scenes, but it is the challenge of capturing speed in motor
racing that occupies most of his time, be it historic events or modern F1.
Another of his passions is working on old cars and Tony Smith converted a sprint
car for road use before he was old enough to hold a driving licence. Today, he
still builds sports cars. Combining his two loves, cars and painting, allows
Smith to produce the unique masterpieces in motion that we associate with the
name Tony Smith.
The extremely successful association that Tony Smith enjoys with the Halcyon
Gallery and Washington Green Fine Art publishing Co. began in 1987 and to date
he has produced a number best selling Limited Edition Prints.
Since the sad death of his fellow artist and colleague, Terence Cuneo, he has
introduced a small 'Trademark' animal into his own paintings. It is not the
famous Cuneo mouse, but a small and sometimes animated teddy bear, named Bertie.
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SZIKORA, SARAH JANE
As a child, Sarah kept herself amused by drawing & painting. She frequently
visited her father's native Hungary where the larger than life people she
encountered became an early influence for the characters she painted. After
school she went on to study at Cleveland College of Art, leaving with an HND
(Distinction). In 1991 she set up her own business making paper Mache figures,
but it was painting to which returned, her works being published as limited
editions, greetings cards & jigsaws.
Her aim is most definitely not to ridicule but promote the idea of a society
that likes itself and where her people, the ladies especially are confident
positive characters, comfortable with their bodies. Sarah is very serious about
her work, but most of all she wants to make people smile.
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THORPE, MACKENZIE
Internationally renowned artist Mackenzie Thorpe
was raised in an industrial town in northern England during a period of economic
hardship. Struggling with dyslexia early in his life, Mackenzie found salvation
in painting and drawing.
His works express an entire range of human emotion, from the special bond of
love and friendship, to the importance of self-reflection and individual
triumphs. His works are a tribute to the creativity within us all and are a
vivid expression of hope and human spirit.
He desperately wants to make the world a better place in which to bring up his
children and our children. Whilst some of his more serious pieces show the
inevitable desperation of mankind and seeming futility of the human condition,
he then shows us that there is hope and love. Using animals as well as people,
he depicts beautiful poignant moments of our lives - moments which we all
understand and which show our vulnerability.
Throughout all his work there is a wonderful sense of 'love and truth'. He feels
that love can conquer all and his work is a testimony to this fact. He is a
special man with an incredible talent, which he never abuses. He is a man of the
people, a true artist.
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TORRES, MIGUEL
Miguel was born in Madrid, Spain in 1948. He went to Barcelona where he studied
art at the famous Bellas Artes of San George. As you can see from his paintings,
his work is full of colour, which reflects his Spanish. After his studies he
travelled around Spain promoting his work and gaining experience. He is now a
well-established artist in Spain. He now lives in Madrid with his family where
he has become an established contemporary landscape artist.
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TOWNSEND, STEVEN
Steven Townsend is a completely self-taught artist of exceptional talent. Born
in 1955 Steven is married with four children and currently resides in
Lancashire, England.
Prior to joining Northern Editions in 1993, his early work revolved around
Wildlife and Landscape painting. He subsequently changed direction to his now
famous dog pictures that continue to sell out on publication. After several
increasingly successful years, he has returned full circle adding African
wildlife subjects to his fantastic range of limited editions.
His signed limited editions are one of the most sought after prints on the
market, and have become collectors items, all prints are sold out on
publication. His first large print format print Early Start now retails for as
much as £2500, Rarin' to Go published in July 1998 was on the secondary market
within two weeks, something that has never been achieved before. Undoubtedly now
the top selling dog artist in the UK his next goal is to become the top selling
wildlife artist.
Steven Townsend draws inspiration from classical music; his favourites being
Mahler and Chopin. He has spent much time studying the works of several
timeless, great impressionist painters, particularly enjoying the work of Peder
Monsted and Bruno Liljefors.
His faith has proved to be a cornerstone of his dedication and ability. Many
customers are unaware that hidden in each and every picture he produces the
initials JTC (Jesus The Creator) appear, affirming his belief.
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TRASKOWSKI, DALE
Dale is a completely self taught artist, and was born in North Africa where his
father was in the British Armed Forces. He spent some time in West Germany
before being raised in Lancashire where he has settled with his wife. He studied
at Art College for three years where he also grew an interest in photography and
a passion for motorcycles. Dale has had a lot of success with a number of very
collectable Limited Edition fine art prints depicting motorcycle racing and
formula one cars of which have sold all over the world. Dale shows remarkable
skill and technical ability with an eye for detail that can only be appreciated
by studying closely at his work; this is even more evident in his beautiful
landscapes.
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TRUSS, JONATHAN
Jonathan Truss has always had a fascination for wildlife and his early career as
a professional musician and actor complimented his love of oil painting. With
international exhibitions his paintings are sold and collected around the world
from New York to New Zealand from Botswana to Beverly Hills! His enthusiasm for
his subjects and the never ending exciting trail for new reference extends to
regular trips, camping under canvas in the incredible game parks of Botswana,
Zimbabwe, Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia. He is establishing himself as one of the
UK's leading Wildlife Artists and is becoming well known for his paintings
around the world. Published by top U.K. fine art publisher Solomon & Whitehead
for the last 5 years with limited and open edition prints. With a rapidly
growing number of collectors of his work, he’s had sell-outs on publication. He
continues to work with the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation and has several of
his animal paintings published by them. The largest U.S. publisher of poster
prints plan to publish him in January 2006. He has been on TV over 100 times and
featured in many national and international magazines. He recently conducted Art
Safaris for Wildlife Worldwide in Kenya (2004) and the Galapagos (2005) and will
be doing the same in India in April 2006. Jonathan is a professional wildlife
artist passionate about the animals he captures on canvas and a member of the
prestigious U.S. organization "The Society of Animal Artists".
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VETTRIANO, JACK
Born in
Scotland in 1951, Vettriano left school at sixteen to become a mining engineer
in the local coalfields. For his twenty-first birthday a girlfriend gave him a
set of watercolour paints and, from then on, he spent much of his spare time
teaching himself to paint. The local art gallery, The Kirkcaldy Museum and Art
Gallery, with its renowned collection of 19th and 20th century Scottish
paintings, was particularly inspirational.
It was fourteen years before Vettriano felt ready to show any of his work in
public. In 1989 he offered two works to the Royal Scottish Academy’s annual
exhibition; both were accepted and sold on the first day. The following year, an
equally enthusiastic reaction greeted the three paintings, which he entered for
the prestigious Summer Exhibition at London’s Royal Academy.
In the last nine years interest in, and desire for his work, has grown rapidly.
There have been sell-out solo exhibitions in Edinburgh, London, Hong Kong and
Johannesburg. In November 1999, Vettriano’s work was shown for the first time in
New York, when twenty paintings were displayed at The International 20th Century
Arts Fair at The Armory. Fifty collectors from the UK flew out for the opening
night of the Fair and all twenty paintings were sold out within an hour of the
opening.
In March 2000 BBC Scotland produced a half-hour documentary about Vettriano for
their Arts Series EX-S; aired initially in Scotland only, the documentary is
likely to be aired nationally later this year.
Aside from his exhibitions, Vettriano has acquired a vast following of fans
through the posters and prints of his paintings that are distributed worldwide.
This year the two best selling art posters in Britain are both Vettriano images.
To date, more than 500,000 posters of Vettriano’s paintings have sold worldwide.
Paintings by Jack Vettriano can be found in private, corporate and public
collections worldwide.
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WHITE, TODD
From Hollywood, Todd White is quickly establishing himself as one of the greats
on the international art scene. He is collected by a host of A-list Hollywood
celebrities and his original works, in high demand, are being snapped-up by the
richest and the coolest for incredible prices.
Described by the media as ‘the Rat Pack meets Picasso’, Todd’s work is high
impact and distinctive, inimitable, and instantly recognisable by collectors
around the world. Although he has had major international TV and media coverage
and achieved celebrity status in his own right, what really matter to him are
the expressions of joy on the faces of his collectors. A true phenomenon...
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