|
Top Ten Artists |
Search By Colour (pick a colour):
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
1. Sue Macartney Snape
Sue Macartney Snape was born in Tanganyika brought up in Australia and now lives and paints in London. John Julius Norwich calls her a "master of caricature" and says her paintings "illustrate the English social scene more brilliantly and with greater accuracy than those of any other painter working today."
Sue Macartney Snape has had numerous commissions and her paintings are avidly collected, adorning the walls of many of England's finest houses. Her Limited Editions are published in-house and are widely collected.
For the past five years Sue Macartney Snape has been drawing the characters in the Telegraph Magazine's 'Social Stereotypes' column.
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
2. Gillian McDonald
Gillian McDonald can be frequently found combing the hills and cliffs for new landscapes. Gillian also enjoys walking in woodland and gardens working on floral compositions, which she weaves into her landscapes. Gillian McDonald's unusual and daring use of colour is her hallmark. Gillian's feel for the tradition of the countryside and its ancient buildings, the vibrancy of her flowers, and the drama of her skies make for the harmony of her highly collectable Limited Edition Prints.
After studying at a London art college, Gillian McDonald developed her love for watercolour in Indonesia where she lived for several years before settling in Wales in 1983. Since then Gillian McDonald has concentrated exclusively on this medium and has published over 100 prints in limited editions, many of which are sold out. In January 2004 Gillian McDonald was voted the most popular female UK artist in a survey by The Fine Art Trade Guild and second most popular artist overall.
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
3. Doug Hyde
Doug Hyde "Yours Truly" - a new collection of work released Sep 2008. Born in Bristol in 1972, Doug Hyde became aware of his artistic talent at an early age. Throughout his school and college education Doug Hyde 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 Hyde prefers to produce his distinctive artwork on a large scale, in order to achieve maximum impact with each piece. Doug 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. Doug Hyde's 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.
Recently named as the UK's official best selling artist, Doug Hyde has been featured on television both on the BBC national news and on Channel 4 describing his unique technique and talking about the people and events that inspire his heart-warming images. Inspired by his own emotional responses to life, Doug Hyde's intention is to provoke a positive response in others.
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
4. Tim Bulmer
Tim Bulmer was born in Northumberland in 1958 and became interested in art at an early age. Tim Bulmer's big break came when working for an art gallery when the proprietors allowed him to exhibit some of his work. Very quickly this small collection became very popular and Tim Bulmer began painting on a full time basis.
When asked to describe his artistic style, Tim Bulmer points the same ruthless spotlight at himself as he does at his subjects, saying simply that wry observation of life and an unwillingness to take anything seriously more or less sums up his work, typically forgetting to mention the imagination and artistry that characterises each of Tim Bulmer's images.
Tim Bulmer's overwhelming rise in popularity was reflected when he scooped the Fine Art Trade Guild's Best Selling Original Print Artist award in May 2001.
Tim Bulmer states; 'I am fascinated by the incredible diversity of life and am constantly inspired by the fact that it always seems a whisker away from farce'.
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
5. Mackenzie Thorpe
Mackenzie Thorpe, an internationally renowed artist, was born in 1956 and raised in Middlesbrough during a period of economic hardship. Struggling with dyslexia early in his life, Mackenzie Thorpe found salvation in painting and drawing.
Mackenzie Thorpe's work expresses an entire range of human emotion, from the special bond of love and friendship, to the importance of self-reflection and individual triumphs. Mackenzie Thorpe wants to highlight the importance of looking after the world for future generations. Whilst some of his more serious pieces show the inevitable desperation of mankind and seeming futility of the human condition, Mackenzie Thorpe then shows us that there is hope and love. Using animals as well as people, Mackenzie Thorpe depicts beautiful poignant moments of our lives - moments. which we all understand and which show our vulnerability.
Mackenzie Thorpe has sold out six exhibitions over the last few years and he had the biggest one man show ever held in Northern England in 1995. He was selected as the official artist for the 1996 Artexpo LA and was commissioned by Elton John's Aids Foundation.
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
6. Suzie Marsh
Suzie Marsh studied at Brighton and Exeter Colleges of Art and obtained her degree in ceramic sculpture in 1982. After several years as a designer for Devon based companies, during which she gained an insight into the techniques of industrial production, Suzie Marsh established her own workshop in 1986.
Suzie Marsh has become well known for her animal sculptures which she sells through shops and galleries both in the UK and abroad. Suzie Marsh has undertaken many private and business commissions including sculpture exhibits for a museum in Taiwan.
Suzie Marsh has a fascination with animals' characters and form. Her inspiration is taken from life and through her observations of the animals. Suzie Marsh is well known for her sculptures of domestic cats and her love for this animal has resulted in Suzie donating money to the Cats Protection League.
Suzie Marsh has now linked with the Turgwe Hippo Sanctuary who provide her with pictures of the animals to develop into sculpture.
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
7. Beryl Cook
Beryl Cook 1926 – 2008 was born in Surrey, one of four sisters. With no formal art education, Beryl left school at 14 to train as a typist, and then upon moving to London in 1943 became a showgirl in the touring production ‘The Gypsy Princess’. Beryl Cook also worked in the fashion industry, which inspired her life-long interest in the way people dress and how they look.
In 1948 she married John Cook, a merchant seaman. Their son John was born in 1950, and the following year they left to live in Southern Rhodesia. One day Beryl Cook picked up some paints belonging to her son and started a picture. She enjoyed it so much she could not stop, and painting became a pleasure to which she devoted much of her time.
When Beryl Cook's paintings were first published, there was very little market for humorous pictures, and it was hard to persuade some galleries to stock her work. However, once available Beryl Cook's work became extremely popular, with her first Exhibition at London’s Portal Gallery being a sell-out. Popular acclaim has been accompanied by serious critical appreciation, most notably with the inclusion of her paintings in the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool where she was seen in the context of mainstream contemporary art.
The key to Beryl Cook's work is of course her sense of humour; the more outrageous someone looks or behaves, the more she wants to paint them. In this way Beryl paints solely for herself; if a subject or incident amuses her or captures her imagination she will paint it and, having done so, she will enjoy that picture as much as anyone. The overweight, jovial characters of Beryl Cook's naive paintings are bursting with personalities from under their huge coats or skimpy underwear. Her work has been widely used in greeting cards and prints, finding many followers who love the realistic traits of the larger-than-life subjects.
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
8. Sherree Valentine Daines
Over the course of her impressive career Sherree Valentine Daines has become one of the UK's most collectable contemporary artists; with a discerning international following of art lovers. Sherree Valentine Daines enjoys an unrivalled reputation in the international arena. Her impressionistic approach lends a unique charm to each stunning, figurative composition, her subtle hand blending each detail into a creation of captivating elegance.
Sherree Valentine Daines was born in Effingham in Surrey into a very artistic family. Her father was a sculptor and a stonemason and her sisters are also artists. After completing her early education she undertook a fine art course at the Epsom School of Art. As soon as Sherree Valentine Daines graduated she set about persuading local institutions to exhibit her work and her success was immediate. Sherree Valentine Daines soon came to the notice of the art world and won a number of accolades including the Young Artist of the Year Award from the Royal Society.
Sherree Valentine Daines formidable talent has made her a favourite with many celebrity collectors, notably several members of the British Royal Family. Sherree has enjoyed a range of prestigious commissions including one from the MCC to paint the Ashes series at each of the test grounds. Many famous names in the world of show-business have sat for her including Joanna Lumley, John Sessions and Michael Parkinson. Sherree Valentine Daines was also commissioned to paint portraits of Jonny Wilkinson and Martin Johnson for a pair of commemorative Limited Editions (signed by both artist and player) celebrating England's World Cup Victory; the Original of Jonny Wilkinson was bought by the man himself. In 2007 she has released a beautiful, highly-illustrated hardback book, First Impressions, as well as working on a TV series with Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen.
Sherree Valentine Daines prefers to use oil on canvas as she finds this to be the purest and "most painterly" medium available to her. Sherree has exhibited at the Tate Gallery, the Barbican, the Royal Society of British Artists, the Royal Institute of Oil Painters, the Laing Landscape Exhibition, the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours, the Royal Watercolour Society, the Hesketh Hubbard Art Society, the New English Art Club, the National Society of Painters, the United Society of Painters and the Pastel Society. Sherree's work is also in the Lord's Museum and is held in many private collections all over the world.
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
9. Mick Cawston
Mick Cawston was one of the finest dog painters of his generation and his work is comparable to that of John Emms or Maude Earl. Mick Cawston worked equally well in oils, water colours or pastels. No matter what breed of dog Mick Cawston portrayed, the character and likeness of the dog are always superb. Mick Cawston's works have been reproduced as limited edition prints and he has been voted 4 times, in the Fine Art Trade Guild survey, as one of the top selling artists, finally wining it in 1998.
In 1996, Mick Cawston celebrated the publication of his 200th print, entitled Wildlife 200, which is a wonderful composite picture of British wildlife. The painting was used in a children's competition, run by the national magazine Shooting Times, for young children to name all the animals in the picture. The original painting, an oil on canvas, 24 inches by 36 inches was donated to the Animal Health Trust where it was successfully auctioned for £3000.
Mick Cawston's work hangs in collections in many countries including Sweden, Australia and America. Mick Cawston died last year, he will be missed by many.
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
10. John Trickett
When the "Shooting Times" declared John Trickett as the "finest Labrador painter in England, if not the world", they were really echoing the thoughts of many before and many since. Indeed, when Franklin Mint of America published several of his paintings on limited edition plates in 1996, they repeated the fact that he is one of the finest painters of labradors in the world.
He has won the silver medal in the International Animal Painters' competition in France for a Labrador picture. What few people know is that his amazing ability is not limited to painting dogs. His shooting scenes, river scapes and sea scapes all exude atmosphere. His Norfolk scenes and his Scottish Loch scenes each draw you into them and invite you to relax and become part of them.
|
|
|
| |
|
