Artist: John Wilson
Title: A Day In Provence
Size: 10" x 8¼"
Edition Size: Artist Hand Signed and Numbered Limited Edition to 150
Medium: Giclee paper
About the Artist: HISTORY & BACKGROUND

My first recollection of having an interest in art was at the age of 10 when I entered into a school Easter Card Competition and won first prize. This inspired me to carry on drawing, particularly incorporating my main interest at that time of aircraft and cars. Things changed when I was 12 – for Christmas I was given a set of oil paints and an easel (the easel I still use today 40 years later!). Painting in oil opened up a whole new world of colour and texture, as well as filling the house with the wonderful scent of linseed and turpentine.

I then enrolled in painting classes on a Saturday morning at the ‘Harrogate School of Art’, which I attended for about 2 years. I then took my art interest even further and attended a part time evening course where I was introduced to figure painting and also pop art. My high point at that time was a ‘pop art’ self-portrait, which was displayed as part of an exhibition in the Harrogate Art Gallery.

Due to the need to earn a living, painting unfortunately had to take a back seat for the next few years. I married and had 3 beautiful daughters whilst running my own small business for 25 years. For my own pleasure however, I did manage to continue to paint in my spare time.

It therefore wasn’t until the mid 1990’s that I actually went back to art more seriously and started exhibiting in the local galleries. I now have various galleries in the area requesting my work and I’ve had several successful exhibitions. Painting now takes up most of my time - I go to bed thinking of my latest painting and wake up with ideas for the next.

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF

How many people wake up on a dreary Monday morning feeling excited about going to work? And how many people enjoy what they do so much that they often don’t even take the weekend off?! Well, I think I must just be one of the lucky ones. I always seem to find myself looking forward to either getting back to a painting I’m already working on, or starting on the next and sorting through all the ideas going on in my head.

For me a typical day starts around 6:30am, when I get up and organised and see the rest of the family off for the day. I am then relatively undisturbed and usually begin painting at around 9am. I work in my studio, which is actually a conservatory at the back of the house. And when it’s windy and raining outside, I certainly feel very relieved that I don’t have to go out in it to get to my place of work. Usually if I’m in the middle of a picture, I can just sit down at my easel and get straight on with it, but if I’m starting a new painting I need to think about it and do some rough sketches. I work in short sessions, probably 2 hours at a time with short breaks in between, so I can evaluate the work I’ve done so far.

When I’m painting I like to have a cup of tea next to me all the time, although I usually end up drinking it cold as I get so absorbed in what I’m doing.

I try to put a little humour into my paintings and I know when I’ve succeeded when my family come home and it puts a smile on their faces. They are my greatest critics, so in the evening we like to view my days work and relax with a glass of wine.
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