 |
Alan is a full-time artist living in the beautiful border country of Herefordshire and Powys. He was born in 1952. After five years of study at Swansea and Coventry (Lanchester) Art Colleges, he graduated with a BA in Fine Art (Painting) and embarked on a career as an illustrator in publishing. His professional painting career has since focussed on realist landscape painting. He has recently extended his style to encompass a more "colourist" approach. The basis of his inspiration remains largely his love of light, colour and atmosphere in landscape. Having formerly spent many years living near the coast, he regularly returns to this subject matter |
|
 |
Allen was born in 1948, one of 6 children to working-class parents, his father being a miner and his mother a former mill worker. When he left school he went down the pit like his father, and was an apprentice miner.
Allen has always been drawn to industrial landscapes, feeling that these are disappearing fast, and he tries to capture them before the past is gone forever. He thinks that we must not forget our industrial heritage, for that is what made us great.
He found out late in life that he has Asperger’s Syndrome, a form of Autism. He knew he was different but did not know why. He describes his feelings: “I was bursting inside to express myself and I found that art was my only friend”.
His aspiration has been to capture the essence of our country, for this is what he feels is his being. “I believe part of the city can produce powerful images, in the hands of a passionate artist”. |
|
 |
Landscape artist Annabel Greenhalgh lives and works on the Pembrokeshire coast of Wales. Working in pastel and oil, Annabel's landscape paintings capture the mood of a piece through careful and accurate attention to the natural landscape whilst employing her emotional response to the places she loves. Annabel Greenhalgh was born on the Wirral in 1955 and now enjoys the rural isolation of her cottage in Pembrokeshire. In Pembrokeshire, being surrounded by beautiful beaches and countryside, it is easy to see where her inspiration comes from. |
|
 |
Born and brought up in Derbyshire, England, Armandie has always been close to the wildlife and nature of the Peak District, which along with her very own wildlife refugees, has been the inspiration for much of her work.
She served many successful years as a portrait painter and photographer and then later as a commercial artist and illustrator. She has been commissioned by some of the worlds famous names.
Her latest works are the result of many years of developing and perfecting original ideas and represent a broad knowledge of not just artistic skills and painting techniques but of the art of picture making, through thoughtful use of composition, colour, subject and light.e elements in most of her works. She can be described as a realist painter but her paintings are so much more than realism. They are imaginative, often quirky and sometimes even a little on the dark side. |
|
 |
Rebecca's background is very art and craft based, and went to Art College followed by University to study footwear design. She found that it simply wasn't enough hands on for her so during holidays went to do work experience at a bespoke shoemaker where now she has a part time apprenticeship as well as working another part time job, subsidising her income with the sale of artwork.
Rebecca works so hard that she gives most of her time to designing, painting and drawing accessories and is convinced that she will make a bespoke shoemaker herself someday.
She is heavily influenced in design by eras and uses re-cyled fabrics to create her works. |
|
 |
Beatrice Williams is an artist with a love for life which is evident in her work. Born and raised in the beautiful upper Swansea valley of Wales, she continues to reside in Ystradgynlais, Wales.
Williams has built a reputation for excellence. Her clientele and commissioned work extends beyond the U.K. with much interest from the Canadian market.
After studying fine art at Caerleon College, in Newport, Wales, Williams taught pottery in Ystradgynlais secondary school. After many years of being away from teaching, she has returned to painting. You will see the play of light and contrasting depth of shade on trees, flowers and buildings in her work.
|
|
 |
Due to long term illness I found myself with a lot of time on my hands. To keep me out of mischief my mother bought me a little jewellery making set to have a go with. I started playing around with the beads, endeavoring to make them into something beautiful and I found that I really enjoyed it and that it was something I was good at. Soon family and friends started buying my jewellery and asking me to make something unique for them to wear for a special occasion.
I chose the name ‘JayBird Jewellery’ not only because it tied in so nicely with my surname ‘Jay’, but because it was inspired by the JayBird for its shy beauty and love for collecting shiny trinkets. I try to make unique pieces for all sorts of tastes.
|
|
 |
Chris Neale moved with his family to Wales from Devon in 1966, and has lived in Pembrokeshire since 1997. After attending school in Penarth, he studied graphics in Bristol and returned to painting, a passion since he was very young, in 1997. He has always liked being in the landscape and spend most of his spare time exploring. He likes to understand the geology that created the landforms but will often seek out the past influence of mankind on the land, a link with it for us all.
With a graphic eye he seeks out compositions where the components, ‘knit’ together to form a unified whole which captures the emotions he feels when he see's an image that makes him want to paint it - it must have something out of the ordinary to it.
''There is a Welsh word that expresses my subjects better than any English equivalent - hiraeth''. |
|
 |
Christine Comyn demonstrated a natural aptitude for painting and drawing at a very young age and refined her artistic talents at the Saint-Luke Academy in Ghent (Belgium). In 1981, at the age of 24, she became an instructor at the Academy of Modern Art in Tielt, and maintained this position until 1997.
Christine’s first solo exhibition in 1988 was a sell-out, and she has since exhibited in Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Venezuela, Columbia, Russia, the United States. and France.
She has had three books of her work published and has won a number of awards. She is now undoubtedly, one of Europe’s most successful and respected figurative artist with her originals in great demand, many of which sell at prices well in excess of Eur 20,000.
|
|
 |
He is a master potter has worked in the industry for over 20 years, firstly for Coalport China and for Wedgwood for the last 15 years. Working for Wedgewood in the working in the Prestige Department he created many one-off pieces for the collectors market and commissions. Many of these pieces were highly decorated and exclusive, fetching in some cases in excess of £100,000.
Although working in the pottery industry for so long and being creative with clay, it is always the joy of painting which is my first love and keeps me returning to canvas.
|
|
 |
Original Work by the artist - David Barnes
David has just completed very successful exhibition here at Ardent Gallery having sold MOST of his paintings in what is one of our most exciting and dynamic shows so far.
David Barnes was born in Africa and spent his early childhood there. He qualified as a chartered accountant and spent most of his working life in professional practice.
Although David Barnes enjoyed art at school and has been an art collector for many years, it was not until he retired from the Educational world in 2006 that he began to paint seriously. His paintings are influenced by Welsh artists Sir Kyffin Williams, Gwilym Prichard and Wynne Jenkins.
David Barnes paintings are highly textural. He uses a palette knife, painting in oils and using a thick impasto technique to produce bold strokes that add strength and texture to his paintings, giving it a sculptured feel. |
|
 |
Though self taught David's approach has been largely influenced by his interest in the work of three Welsh painters: Kyffin Williams, John Blockley and John Knapp-Fisher. All three included in their work simple farming structures, dramatic skies and a limited colour palette. The Black Mountains, the source of David Haswell's inspiration, offer an excellent blend of buildings and landscape - old farms, chapels, valleys, ridge walks etc operating at the small scale, within the larger setting of the Brecon Beacons which bring waterfalls, the canal and some significant mountain peaks. The intention is to create highly textured images of the Welsh landscape presented with contrast and bordering on the semi-abstract. The effect is achieved through a combination of textural work in acrylics, applied with a palette knife and overlays of deeply saturated pure watercolours from Italy. |
|
 |
Eddie is a self-taught painter and has exhibited throughout England, Scotland, Wales and parts of Europe. His commissions cover a wide range of subjects which include portraits, animal paintings and copies of old masters. His work has gone as far afield as Hong Kong, the USA and Australia.
He combines his painting work with specialist decorating: marbling, graining, murals, trompe l'œil and French polishing.
He lives in North Norfolk with his wife and family.
|
|
 |
Eleri is a student studying Law at Swansea University.
She has exhibited at the gallery for a number of years and produces mostly abstract mixed media paintings. |
|
 |
Since graduating with an honours degree from Kingston University, Fletcher’s career has flourished with commissions for major artworks from such prestigious companies as BP, British Airways, British Telecom and Sony Records. Fletcher Sibthorp’s work is greatly admired by many well qualified to judge and his record of successes is impressive. He has won six competitions including the Association of Illustrators title on no less than three occasions and six separate Awards of Excellence. His hugely successful exhibitions and book launch in Cork Street, London in March, 2005 and March 2006 saw his prices for major oils soar to over £20,000. His limited editions are published in very low numbers and often sell-out within weeks
|
|
 |
At an early age Gary discovered that he had a natural gift for painting.
Throughout his schooldays he excelled at the subject and his unique style began to develop.
He loves to paint landscapes which were originally inspired by Salvadour Dali. ‘He was the artist to give me the inspiration to create my own unique style.’ ‘I am very passionate with everything I paint and I will always strive to achieve producing a unique range of paintings for all to love.’
|
|
 |
Gillian McDonald is an acclaimed landscape artist, consistently one of the top-selling print artists of her generation.
From the Scottish Highlands to the remotest shores of the British Isles, Gillian seeks out the dramatic locations that inspire her Romantic, Contemporary and Atmospheric images. From her hideaway in Provence, she conjures with the hot hues of southern Europe that permeate her Mediterranean paintings.
Gillian's artistry is rich in romance, drama and atmosphere. It evokes isolation and solitude and focuses on the interplay of light and the natural environment. Coupled with her bold, mixed-media use of colour, these are the hallmarks of her highly sought-after work, brought together as The McDonald Collection.
|
|
 |
Goff was born in 1949 in a small South Wales town called Brynmawr where his artistic interests were first noticed and encouraged by his very supportive art teacher at the local grammar school. On leaving school, Goff trained at the West of England College of Art, Bristol, Cardiff College of Art and Cardiff University. He then taught at St Illtyd's College, Cardiff until moving into the management of education for a number of local authorities in South East Wales. This became his full time occupation for many years. However, it is in the past few years that he has acquired a confidence in his own understanding of art to paint for his own purpose, in his own way, regardless of trends or prejudices. Fortunately, this has proven to be very successful and enabled him to explore a completely new career as a full time professional artist.
All of Goff's images are directly influenced by the Welsh landscape, personal recollections or a combination of both. Throughout his life, the area in which he has lived and worked has provided a constant source of inspiration. " I often find myself linking past events with the development of my paintings and using familiar imagery to reinforce the connection". Although most of his paintings have personal recollection and experience as their foundation, they are 'generalised' in a way which makes their appeal extremely wide ranging, A prolific artist, his originals are in great demand, regularly being sold, often in advance of being painted.
He works from a studio in his native town of Brynmawr and continues to appreciate the direct links with his 'origins' which provide the stimulation for the majority of his work |
|
 |
Harry was born in Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire in 1930 where he attended Stamford Boys School. He left Sheffield, moving to Wales in 1966 and he now lives in Crickhowell with his wife. He has a married daughter who lives nearby with his three grandchildren.
Harry is completely self taught but was very much inspired by Lowry after seeing an exhibition of his work in 1947, whilst living in Manchester.
He first started to paint in the 1960s and then had a huge break before starting again in 2002.
Harry has a varied background , having been a butcher and Grocer to working at the Daily Telegraph within the circulation department!! |
|
 |
Janet Foster studied photography under the expert tutorage of Professor Margaret Harker.
After graduating and obtaining her associate of the British Institute of Professional Photographers, she became photographer to the British Museum and lectured to degree level at The Regent Street Polytechnic (Westminster University).
Whilst bringing up a young family she took a further degree at Bristol University and for many years taught in schools in both Gloucestershire and Monmouthshire, including Haberdashers
Monmouth School for Girls.
She now lives in the Brecon Beacons and devotes her time to painting,
singling and playing viola. |
|
 |
John Knapp-Fisher was born in London in 1931. After studying graphic design and typography at Maidstone College of Art, he became involved in exhibition design and theatre design including scene construction and painting.
Turning to full-time painting in 1960, he lived and exhibited from his sea-going fishing boat for five years, exploring the rivers and estuaries of the South and East Coasts of England. John has exhibited widely in England, Wales, Europe, Africa and North America. John Knapp-Fisher was elected a member of the Royal Cambrian Academy 1992.
His work is in a number of public and many private collections. For the past thirty five years he has lived and painted in Pembrokeshire. |
|
 |
A Welsh artist, living in Mid Wales.
The way I paint is from inside me. It’s not some mechanical action learned or mimicked: my work is a portrayal of all my happy, sad, joyous and turbulent feelings. I think that my passion for painting is revealed through my approach to my work. My work has been described as energetic, vibrant, theatrical, romantic and erotic. Certainly, I feel that it expresses the essential me.
I want people not only to look at my work: I want them to feel it, both with their eyes and their hearts. I want to create an emotion inside them, because to create something that stirs feeling inside the onlooker is a great achievement.
|
|
 |
Karin Mear was born in Aberdare, South Wales, in 1960. She now lives with her partner and son in Brecon. Karin paints mainly in acrylic, and also produces digital art under the name of Baaah!. Her designs appear on greeting cards published by companies such as Paperchase and Statics. |
|
 |
Short listed as a finalist for the Fine Art Trade Guild 'Best-Selling Artist 2010' Award.
Born in a coastal town of North Wales, Kerry’s passion for art was inspired by a love of beautiful old picture books (Rackham, Dulac and Beardsley were favourites and later on, Pre-Raphaelite painting and Art Nouveau). This developed into a degree in illustration in 1996, originally intended to lead to a career in book illustration.
Following University she worked in S.America before returning to the U.K. to work as a designer and illustrator for an exclusive company, specializing in sculptured clay murals for private residences in the Middle East, United Arab Emirates and the U.S.A.
Kerry now works independently from her studio at home in North Wales, using all of these influences and her flexibility to create pieces of art in a variety of subjects.
|
|
 |
Kumar Saraff studied Fine Art at Nottingham Trent University, going onto study painting at the Royal Academy Schools. Here he won several awards and prizes, including the David Murray travel scholarship for landscape painting and a silver medal for excellence in painting.
After graduation Kumar worked within the Art and Design department of a large west London further education college before relocating to Mid-Wales to paint full time in 2002. As well as painting, Kumar participates in art based community projects.
Kumar's art has its origins in a European landscape painting tradition, using the colour and form of light effects on landscape to take the viewer on an exploration of paint on surface.
His paintings have been exhibited in numerous galleries and venues in England and Wales, and can be found in both private and corporate art collections in the British Isles and abroad. |
|
 |
KYFFIN WILLIAMS was born in 1918, Llangefni, on the Isle of Anglesey, Wales. After studying at the Slade School of Fine Art, London between 1941 & 1944. He became the Senior Art Master at Highgate School from 1944 to 1973. In 1968 he gained a Winston Churchill Fellowship to record the Welsh in Patagonia.
President of the Royal Cambrian Academy from 1969 to 1976, and again from 1992, he was elected Royal Academician in 1974 and made an Honorary Fellow of University College, Swansea (1989), University College, Bangor (1991) and University College of Wales, Aberystwyth (1992). In 1991 he received the Medal of the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion. He is accepted as one of the greatest figures in twentieth-century art in Wales ... best known for his powerful paintings of the North Wales landscape. |
|
 |
Lee Fearnley was born in Mirfield, West Yorkshire in 1969.
“I have a deep love of painting figures and to be able to combine that with another passion of mine in sport, is extremely enjoyable, particularly in vintage scenes as they aren’t tainted with the modern day commercialism that most sports have today. The unprofessional naivety of vintage sport is not only visually more appealling to me, but it lends itself to a more stylised, humourous type of figure.”
|
|
 |
Madjid was born in Teheran in 1943, son to the well known artistic Rahnavadkar family, both the grandfather and brother were also well appreciated amongst their countryman. Madjid has been painting and sculpturing since he was fifteen. In 1959 he was honoured with the French-Persian RASI prize for his painting ans a year later for his sculptures. Madjid has lived in Munich for over 25 years and counts to one of the renowned group of artists in the Munich scene. His works can be found in many private collections not only in Europe but also in Britain, America and Asia |
|
 |
Over the last years Malcolm has been producing a steady flow of artwork, mostly oil paintings and mixed media, and some sculptures. Some of the work was influenced by his study of primitivism and African art, some of it emerged after a visit to Germany and the deep impression made by the high reaches of the Bavarian Alps - others just reflect the life in the garden behind the house. |
|
 |
Carmarthenshire artist Mark Cox is an eclectic artist who enjoys working on a variety of subjects, producing landscapes, marine and coastal paintings. He works in both oils and watercolours. Mark who has been painting all his life gained an honours degree in fine art at Trinity College Carmarthen.
Mark has exhibited widely in Carmarthenshire, Bristol, Brecon, Dublin, Mid- and South-West Wales, including Cardiff and the National Assembly for Wales. His work has been sent as far as Australia and USA. Mark can be seen working on his latest paintings most Wednesdays in the Lounge Gallery, Waverley, Carmarthen. |
|
 |
Mark has always been interested in art from an early age and after attending Art College, favoured print-making and opened up a print-making studio in Kent, where he spent many years developing etching and collagraph techniques. After the storm of October 1997 he was commissioned to produce a limited edition etching of Kew gardens, and other commissions followed included NatWest Bank and The Dorchester Hotel.
His etching works which included landscapes, abstracts, figurative and many more themes were successfully published by CCA Galleries of London, and London Contemporary Art and spanned many years and were sold all over the world.
This new work, which was mainly figurative was very well received and in 2000. His figurative work was published by a major publisher with the first edition selling out very quickly, and then in 2003 was awarded the Fine Art Trade Guild Up and Coming Published Artist award and nominated for Best Selling Artist the following year.
|
|
 |
Mark Whittaker is a professional artist born and brought up in Newport, Gwent, South Wales where I live with my partner Julie, pet dog Max and Mischief the cat.
Mark is entirely self taught and has his original paintings are now hanging in private collections in the UK and as far afield as Canada, USA and Finland.
Mark has been exhibiting with the Gallery now for over 4 years and has proved to be one of our most popular landscape artists. |
|
 |
Mary Ann Rogers has consistently been in the top 5 published artists according to the Fine Art Trade Guild.
Mary Ann is a self-taught artist who began painting at a very early age and has become one of the most acclaimed watercolour painters of her subjects in Britain.
Her stunning countryside studio, made famous by a T.V. documentary, allows her to paint her subjects direct from life - capturing the briefest moments in time.
The ceiling to floor windows face Northwards, making maximum use of the natural North light, enabling Mary Ann to observe sheep grazing up the hill and her many feathered subjects feed, strut, mate, fight, and rest before her watchful eye in the garden. |
|
 |
Nichole's work is inspired by nature, spirit and motherhood. Motherhood as a spiritual path and nature as a spiritual path and the merging of all of these as one. |
|
 |
Paul Apps is a passionate wildlife artist and photographer. His work captures the unique character of the subject and interaction with its natural environment. While Paul creates images of wildlife from all over the world, he frequently returns to the expanse of the African landscape and fauna to inspire his grand canvases. Since his first visit to the continent in 1989, Paul has travelled there annually to collect reference and experience the thrilling game and panoramas. |
|
 |
Paul Jenkins was born in the West Midlands, England in 1949. Paul first started his career in art the early 70's sculpting in wood and then found himself drawn to sculpting in clay and wax. He then went on to study ceramics at Dudley College of Art. Paul has also created more outlandish pieces such as 6 Ten-foot Art Deco Figures for the interior of a night club. Paul has also sculpted several pieces for the National Trust which were then presented to people for their outstanding contributions within the trust. Paul's Inspirations come from his love of nature especially animals. Many of his pieces are inspired from direct observations of wild animals in their natural habitat. |
|
 |
Who am I What am I
I was born in Cwmbran in South Wales and moved to Brecon 20 years ago. I started painting about 10 years ago to help with some health problems and what started out as a hobby has now been created into a job and a way of life. I was elected as a member of the Watercolour Society of Wales in 2008, the Patron being the Prince of Wales. This enhanced my professional status which allows me to exhibit in the museums and universities. I am a photographer, watercolour painter, publisher and printer of limited and open edition prints.
I paint water reflection incorporating my surroundings, the autumn leaves changing colour on the trees, greens, browns, oranges and reds and the ever changing colour of the sky, the brightly coloured boats and brick painted coloured houses and buildings. I combine the clothing reflecting the passer by, and even the dog on a lead reflects colour in the water. The combination of surrounding colours, wild birds and animals refecting colour, all combine to create a most colourful picture. |
|
 |
Stella is a self taught artist. Her first exhibitions were The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition (Miniatures Section) and the Medici Gallery, London. Stella was born in Kings Langley, Hertfordshire in 1950.
Her love of landscapes, water and sky influenced her ideas and she has created a very idiosyncratic and recognisable style. She has been developing new techniques with Acrylics over the last few years and this has inspired a collection of landscapes and Contemporary Abstracts using oils and acrylics with applied 3d substrates and metal foils that demonstrate a new freedom of expression |
|
 |
Fine Art Trade Guild award winning best selling published artist 2008 is testament to Sue's ever increasing popularity.
She is a self-trained artist now working full-time as a painter. Known for her interpretation of landscapes and buildings she has developed a bold and vivid style to express her view of the world and bring perspective to her painting. She works mainly in watercolours but loves to experiment with other media.
She continues to broaden her range of subjects, maintaining her energy and colours by using an economy of brush strokes. Sue works as loosely as possible as watercolours can be controlled but never bullied.
The colours she uses take on a wide range of hues when she adds light and dark, giving a translucent quality coupled with brush texture and an ability to use contrasting colour to very good effect.
"Nothing in my pictures is real. Everything is off-kilter, which generates an energy that seems to appeal. The more I exaggerate my figures, the more popular they are. People can see what they want to see if pictures aren't literal." |
|
 |
Born 1970 in Bruges, Belgium.
In 1993, after finishing her studies in Interior Design in Gent, Belgium, Thuline took a three year break to travel - visiting such countries as the U.S.A., Ghana, and several in Europe.
Thuline moved to England in 1996 and combines her passion for painting with raising a young family.
"I observe animals; their shapes, gestures and mannerisms and in developing my ideas I take them quite often out of their context. In my work I explore the possibilities of bringing the subjects in and out of focus. Composition plays an important role in my paintings and I sometimes use perspective to distort images. I like using bold colours.
I enjoy the gathering of information as much as I do the painting. Cows are funny creatures. Just like humans, they have their own characters - their faces show expressions and a curiosity that never stops to amaze and fascinate me."
|
|
 |
Timmy Mallett is known as a TV and entertainment personality, but is just as versatile and colourful in his artistic endeavours.
He loves painting (mainly in acrylics), and will reach for his 'Mallett's Pallette' at the drop of a brush. He is a really talented artist who takes his inspiration from this country, and from trips all over the world. His many and varied paintings glow with colour.
A love of painting came at an early age to Timmy and he studied History of Art as part of his degree at Warwick University. In recent years he has enjoyed a keen artistic friendship and interaction with Rolf Harris.
Rolf says, " He is an enthusiastic and exciting artist.... 'I'm knocked out by his work". |
|
