Nick Grove

Nick Grove RSMA is an award-winning British painter based in Stamford, England. Working primarily in oils, his practice encompasses landscape, cityscape, portraiture and the figure, combining traditional draughtsmanship with a contemporary, expressive approach to representational painting.

His work is rooted in direct observation. From the streets of London and New York to the British coastline, historic European cities and the quieter intimacy of the studio, Grove seeks to capture more than the appearance of a subject. His paintings explore the changing relationships between light, atmosphere, colour and form, conveying something of the experience of being present within a particular moment.

Largely self-taught, Grove developed his practice through years of painting outdoors and working from the live model. His earlier career as a professional photographer continues to inform his understanding of composition and visual perception, although painting directly from life remains fundamental to his artistic approach.

His work is characterised by confident, expressive brushwork, carefully observed tonal relationships and a balance between structure and spontaneity. Whether depicting a bustling city street, a coastal landscape or the ...

Nick Grove is predominantly self-taught, having developed his artistic practice through sustained observation, independent study and many years of working directly from life.

His artistic education has been shaped by the study of traditional draughtsmanship, comparative measurement, composition, tonal relationships and colour theory, supported by extensive practical experience painting outdoors and from the live model.

Before establishing himself as a professional painter, Grove worked for many years as a photographer, developing an understanding of light, visual perception and composition that continues to inform his painting practice.

He is the founder of Stamford School of Art, where he teaches observational drawing and painting through structured courses, workshops and individual tuition.

His teaching combines traditional principles with an emphasis on curiosity, experimentation and personal expression, encouraging students to develop both technical understanding and confidence in their own artistic voice.

Selected Exhibitions

2026
- British Art Prize, OXO Gallery, London — selected artist
- Chelsea Art Society, Summer Exhibition, London
- Chelsea Art Society, Members Exhibition, London
- Monochrome, The Gallery, Holt, Norfolk
- Thompson's Galleries, Aldeburgh Annual Exhibition, Suffolk

2025
- Royal Society of Marine Artists, 80th Annual Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London
- Chelsea Art Society, Annual Exhibition, London
- The Artist and Leisure Painter Open Art Competition (TALP), Patchings Art Centre, Nottinghamshire

Additional Selected Exhibitions
- Royal Society of Portrait Painters, Mall Galleries, London
- Royal Institute of Oil Painters, Mall Galleries, London
- London Art Fair
- Affordable Art Fair
- Thompson's Galleries, London and Aldeburgh
- Various solo and group exhibitions throughout the United Kingdom

Grove's work is held in private collections throughout the United Kingdom and internationally.