Richard Thorneycroft

Richard is primarily a figurative artist, whose work encompasses portraiture, landscape and still life in both oils and watercolour. His first art lessons were on family holidays to southern Italy, where at the age of eight, he was taught watercolour by his grandfather, the late Peter (Lord) Thorneycroft, amateur artist and former British politician. Painting lessons by the Calabrian sea were followed by drawing lessons in London’s Hyde Park. It was during these shared moments with his grandfather that the artist in Richard was born. Coming from a family of artists, he grew up in London seeing the sculptures of his distant cousins, Sir Hamo, Thomas and Mary Thornycroft. This encouraged him to concentrate on art and take inspiration from his family to spur him on to a career as an artist.

My art training was at the Royal Drawing School (formally the Prince's Institute) under Catherine Goodman and Martin Shortis, then at the Heatherley School of Art under Susan Engledow.