Heron by the Weir, Topsham. Painting

My work is primarily figurative – landscapes, portraits and narrative paintings in oil, acrylic and gouache. I never tire of the challenge of rendering a subject in a ‘realistic’ manner whilst at the same time weaving in a story, mood and personality to the piece. In the more narrative compositions, I have attempted to invite the viewer to construct the ‘story’ in their own minds from the content of the picture. My portraits seek by use of pose, composition, colour and tone to give an understanding of the subject’s character beyond the physical likeness. In my landscapes I like to convey the atmosphere and mood of the environment, so the viewer ‘feels’ as much as ‘views’. I work in my garden studio in Kingston on Thames, and my work can be viewed at ricksmithart.webnode.com