For the second year running I have sold a watercolour at the Mall Galleries and the same subject: a Norfolk round tower church. Could this be a clue to latest trend in popular subject matter? ...or just a coincidence? Here it is: All Saints, Freethorpe. A lovely church with a large Norman tower.
Don't miss this show at the Mall Galleries and spot my two pictures - until 25 March. More to follow.
I've just completed this watercolour for a dear friend and colleague of some 14 years to remind him of his journey from Southampton station to Solent University passing this lovely sculpture each day. Designed by Paul de Monchaux and erected in 2000 this work frames four views across West Park. Good luck Phil
It's been a while since my last post but before leaving Rowland Hilder I want to show this watercolour. I came across it on the web blog http://one1more2time3.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/rowland-hilder-1.jpg and is a barn interior. I've not found many examples of interior views by Hilder and this is outstanding. The lightness of touch together with strong cast shadows and intense shade give a wonderful sense of atmosphere. The strong light at the entrance where Hilder has left the white of the paper, contrasts with the dark washes of the interior to the left. This, together with fleeting dry brush strokes on the wooden beams and on the floor allows the paper texture to describe an impression of various surfaces within. All in all a masterful rendition.
I am thrilled to announce the opening of my exhibition at Southampton Solent University with a reception on Thursday 27 October at 6.00 pm. A Point of View is an exhibition of my recent watercolour studies including local views of Southampton's heritage buildings. The show continues until 7 January 2012.
Roland Hilder was a household name throughout my childhood during the 50s and 60s and admired as both artist and illustrator. His name was synonymous with the Kent countryside much as Constable was with Suffolk. His traditional style and method of watercolour painting was highly regarded from both within and outside of the art communities and he transcended the divide between art and illustration. His work exemplified the art of watercolour as a medium for publication and his work can be seen in books and on posters. His work touched a strain of nostalgia in the English for an unchanged and unchanging landscape. I have always felt a closeness to Hilder's work especially as I grew up close to the parts of Kent that he most loved and painted particularly around Maidstone and Shoreham on the northern downland.
Alfred Waterhouse RA (1830–1905), Entrance, Natural History Museum: Plan and elevation, c.1878.
Alfred Waterhouse RA (1830–1905), Manchester Town Hall: perspective, 1887. Pencil, pen with black ink and coloured washes, 762 × 1092 mm
Before I leave the Victorians I must give a mention to Alfred Waterhouse. Although, strictly, not an artist but an architect, Waterhouse produced the most sensitive perspectives. He is very much remembered for his design of the Natural History Museum in which he incorporated intricate detail in the style of the Romanesque. Many architects received training not only in architecture but also in painting and in particular in the medium of watercolour. Waterhouse was indeed a talented watercolourist demonstrated here in this fine example of a perspective of his design for Manchester Town Hall. It's hard to imagine an architect of today producing such a work but during this time many architects were also accomplished in the art of perspective drawing and rendering. The practice of rendering plans and elevations had been standard practice since the Industrial Revolution and was established in the engineering profession. Specific colours were defined to represent different materials and draughtsmen became highly skilled in laying immaculate washes to design drawings. Waterhouse produced a plethora of rendered design drawings and perspectives and was highly regarded both within and outside the profession. The next image by Waterhouse, the entrance to the Natural History Museum, had a great impact on me after seeing the original on display.
John Ruskin (1819-1900). Part of St Mark's, Venice, Sketch after rain, 1846
Above all it is the writings and philosophy surrounding the Romantic period and in particular that of the aesthetic ideal of the picturesque which has had a significant affect on my attitude to art and design. In 1768 William Gilpin (1724-1804) wrote of the picturesque as, "that kind of beauty which is agreeable in a picture" and alongside ideals of the beautiful and sublime was seen as a basic human instinct towards art. A leading proponent of Gilpin's philosophy during the Victorian period was the art critic, artist and writer John Ruskin. It is the draughtsmanship which I most admire in Ruskin's watercolour studies and the piece I have chosen ably demonstrates this. This sketch of St Mark's was one of many Ruskin produced for his treatise on the art and architecture of Venice, The Stones of Venice first published in 1851. Here Ruskin shows his ability to combine the use of the pencil sketch with loose washes and still retain accuracy of architectural shape and form: a master draughtsman.
It's been a while so here is another offering looking into the many artists who have inspired my work. I have known this piece by John Sell Cotman (1782-1842) for as long as I can remember. It has the perfect proportions for the subject matter, an aqueduct, and in its simplicity has become an iconic work. It is a small watercolour 31 by 23 cms which surprised me on first viewing the original at the V&A (a similar reaction when I saw the Mona Lisa at the Louvre). This watercolour has a charm like no other: It's an image that I return to time and time again. Executed on laid paper it has a lightness of touch and even the telling signs of aging does little to detract from this. Cotman can be forgiven for his less than accurate depiction of reflections in the foreground water (under examination the supporting pillars are much shorter in the reflections if measured from the ground surface) given that this was most clearly done on location. Economy of brushwork and colour washes makes this work a classic example of the Romantic and Picturesque era.
J.M.W. Turner (1775-1851): Pulteney Bridge Bath, lecture diagram 59, c1810
Here's the finished watercolour. The view is the same as the sketch but worked up from photographs taken on the day. I have tried to capture the drama of the castle against the lightening sky with the sun casting much of the building in its own shadow. Stokesay Castle stands proud in the valley of the river Onny just north of Ludlow. It was clearly designed to charm both its owners and onlookers when it was built in the late 13 century and is a visual treat of vernacular building today. This took nearly three days to paint but was worth the time and effort.
If you wish to see more of my work I am having a one man show at Southampton Solent University during November and December - details to come. Also visit the Tudor House and garden in Bugle Street which has just reopened and will soon be selling postcards of my watercolours of the House and Westgate Hall in a couple of weeks.
Much of the inspiration for my work comes from the golden age of British watercolours during the late 18th and 19th centuries. John Ruskin's writing and drawings on the picturesque in art have always fascinated me as does the work of Turner, Girtin and Varley et al. I am constantly referring to the work of such artists whilst working on a watercolour and this is no exception. As the painting progresses I have a continuous struggle with the medium trying to move the paint across the surface until I am satisfied with the result: although often disappointed once the paint has dried. This is what makes me want to continue and improve.
I am very excited that my new website is live! I hope that you enjoy looking round at my work and thoroughly explore the gallery area. I will be adding new work regularly so please come back and visit. I will also be blogging regularly about my interests, current work and also what is going on in the arts community of the city of Southampton where I live. Please get in touch with me via the Contact page!