Philip Vessey

I have lived most of my life in London and painted for over thirty years. The majority of my work is inspired by landscape. I began painting in the late 1970s in Suffolk where I lived then and I knew the countryside well from family holidays. I have always had a strong connection to this beautiful place; the sea, river estuaries, marshes and rolling countryside. I am always excited by visiting somewhere new, perhaps travelling abroad, exploring my surroundings; discovering a view, a certain quality, its beauty, feeling a closeness to nature and capturing its infinite complexities.

I make drawings, often piecing together snippets of information that I want to remember: colours, textures, movement, close-up details and distant horizons. The paintings become a collection of memories, echoes of things overheard, segments of journeys. My work expresses my relationship to the landscape, a culmination of many remembered and hidden elements, merged together embodying a sense of place.

Although there is a certain element of control I want there to be spontaneity in my work too. I love paint and I like using strong colour. A lot of my smaller work is done in situ while larger pieces are worked up from sketches, studies or photograph...

1979 Lowestoft College Foundation Art
1980-3 North East London Polytechnic BA Hons Painting

1990
Martin Gallery, Framlingham
Snape Maltings
Denis Taplin Gallery, Woodbridge
Fraser Gallery, Woodbridge
Bonets, Felixstowe
1991
Boundry Gallery,Cransford
Monet’s, Westleton
Space 34, Snape Maltings
Marquee Restaurant, London
Forbes Gallery, Oulton Broad
1992
Yoxford Gallery, Open Studios
Lowestoft Gallery, Lowestoft Arts Forum
Halesworth Gallery, four person show
Space 34, Snape Maltings
Aldeburgh Cinema Gallery, 'Landslip'. three person show
Pike Gallery, London
1993
Pattemore Gallery, Diss
Lowestoft Gallery, 'Landmarks', solo show
Leiston Abbey, Open Studios
Heveningham Hall
1994
Suffolk College, Young Blood
Framlingham Castle
1995
Advice Arcade Gallery, Norwich
1999
Areley Kings,Worcs, three person show
2003
The Cut Gallery. Halesworth Festival
2009
Wimbledon, Open Studios

2010
Great Western Studios, Open Studios
2011
Great Western Studios, Open Studios
2012
Great Western Studios, Open Studios
2015
ACAVA, Open Studios
ACAVA Hammersmith Arts Fest
2016
ACAVA Hammersmith Arts Fest
2017
Secret Artist
ACAVA Hammersmith Arts Fest