Artist's Statement:
My two main subject areas are the natural and urban environment. Having always lived in an industrial, and later post-industrial urban landscape has had a strong influence on my art. It has also enabled me to appreciate the importance of the countryside and this precious environment, hence my love of the natural landscape, and in particular, trees.
Whichever subject I choose, I want to capture beauty and character, whether it is an abandoned building or a group of trees. Paul Nash said that trees were a metaphor for the human condition, this view resonates deeply within my own vision. I look at certain trees, and I have an overwhelming desire to draw or paint them, to capture their energy.
I always aim to keep moving my art forward and enjoy risk taking, seeing no boundaries regarding how things should or should not be done.
Biographical Details:
Staffordshire, England based artist. Art is something that has always been part of my life, irrespective of the jobs I have done. My first art prize was won in infants school.
After a varied, meandering career path, I formed a company specialising in graphics/publishing and printing. As a mature student I gained a PGCE and taught life drawing and painting in college, which later led to the formation of my own private art classes.
Forming the classes led indirectly to building my own art career: I entered open art competitions and started to win prizes and awards. This success inspired me to develop and experiment further.
Method of Working:
Being an intuitive and spontaneous artist, I trust my instincts with regard to which medium to use for a particular subject. I am equally at home working with pastel, acrylic, graphite, oil, or mixed media, and like to experiment and explore different combinations and methods.
I am a studio painter, so work from photos and sketches. I also work on many different pictures at any one time, sometimes bouncing new ideas around from one to the other. I like to push the boundaries of a particular medium and try to use it in my own way.
I enjoy the challenge of discovering something different, to keep my work fresh.
Recently, I have enjoyed taking part in ‘Couleurs de Bretagne’, a series of plein air painting competitions to celebrate the heritage of the area, at various locations in Brittany. I found the challenge of working in intense heat with acrylics very challenging but extremely addictive. I loved the atmosphere of setting up and painting in a busy town square.
I continue to experiment and push myself to discover new ways to express landscape.
Society Memberships
Royal Society of British Artists (RBA)
Pastel Society (PS)
Other Society Memberships:
Royal Birmingham Society of Artists (RBSA)
Societe des Pastellistes de France (SPDF
Manchester Academy of Fine Arts (MAFA)
Pastel Society of Russia.
Exhibitions:
Exhibitions 2024.
New Ashgate Gallery Farnham. A Pastel Society Selected Exhibition. PV 3rd May. Open 4th May – 29th June
Seven pastels with Société des Pastellistes de France at Feytiat, near Limoges, France and holding demonstrations during the exhibition, from end of June to beginning September.
Four pastels with L’Art du Pastel en France at the ExpositionInternationale de Pastel à Berric, France June 22-30, 2024.
Four pastels at the Festival Internationale de St. Alaye, Perigord, in July.
Previous Exhibitions:
Exhibited at the Mall Galleries since 2002 - variously with the Pastel Society, RBA, NEAC, and ROI.
2020
COVID pandemic has decimated exhibition plans for 2020.
However:
RBA show at Mall Galleries, March 2020
PS show at Mall Galleries, Feb 2020
MAFA show at Rawtenstall
Galerie Pastels Girault, Montignac, Lascaux, France
IAPS selected show, Florida USA
Trent Art Gallery, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire
Virtual group shows
Pastel Society of Russia annual exhibition, Moscow 2019
IAPS show USA 2019
RBA annual show 2019
PS annual show 2019
RBSA Members and Associates 2019
Trent Art / RBA show 2019
Trent Art / RBSA show 2019
Adrian Hill Gallery 2019
RWA annual show 2019
Scholarships, Awards and Prizes:
Regular awards and prizes at Mall Galleries, RBSA Gallery, and open art exhibitions.
Publications:
The Artist magazine
Pratique des Arts
Pastel Journal
'Creative Drawing Techniques' by David Brammeld with Crowood Press
‘For the Beauty of Trees’ a selection of treescapes in acrylic and pastel
‘Pour L’amour des Arbres’ French version of above
‘La Bretagne en peinture’ a collection of drawings and paintings depicting Brittany (I’m working on the English translation).
David is currently finalising a second book of my treescapes followed by a French version.
He is also working on a larger book pulling together my hundreds of drawings and paintings documenting the changing face Potteries.
