Artist’s Statement:
My work centres around urban and industrial landscapes, often drawn from places that sit slightly outside of attention. Growing up in Birmingham had a lasting impact on how I see these environments. The post war architecture, the weight of the structures and the atmosphere of the city have stayed with me and continue to shape what I make. I am drawn to places that feel quiet or partially abandoned, where the absence of people allows the buildings themselves to carry a sense of presence.
There is usually a balance between what is observed and what is constructed. I start from real locations but allow the work to shift as it develops, so that the final image feels resolved rather than strictly recorded. I am interested in how structure, light and surface can hold a kind of emotional weight without needing to describe a specific moment or narrative.
Method of Working:
The work often begins with photography, gathering fragments of buildings and spaces from across the city. I bring these together digitally to form a composition, thinking carefully about how perspective and diagonal movement can guide the eye. It is less about documenting a single place and more about building something that feels coherent.
From there, I move into drawing, usually with charcoal and pastel. Drawing sits at the centre of everything I do. I tend to build the image slowly through layers of line and tone, allowing parts of it to remain loose while others become more defined. The process is quite physical and responsive, and I try to let the material have some say in how the image settles.
Biographical Details:
Stuart Jarvis is a British artist and teacher with over twenty three years of experience working in both state and independent schools. He currently teaches fine art and photography at Uppingham School.
Alongside his teaching, he maintains an active studio practice and regularly delivers workshops and masterclasses in the UK and abroad. His work is rooted in drawing and focuses on urban and industrial subject matter.
Society Memberships:
The Pastel Society
Scholarships, Awards, Prizes:
Peter Wileman Award, Royal Institute of Oil Painters Annual Exhibition, Mall Galleries, 2025
Exhibitions:
Royal Institute of Oil Painters Annual Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London
Pastel Society Annual Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London
Other Exhibitions:
Selected group exhibitions and teaching related showcases in the UK and internationally
Publications:
Sky Arts Masterclass series contributor & contestant on Sky Landscape Artist of the year 2021
