Copley Fielding – English watercolour painter

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July 26, 2011

Anthony Vandyke Copley Fielding, commonly called Copley Fielding was an English painter who was famous for his watercolour landscapes.  In fact Fielding came from an entire family of artists but he was the most well-known.

He was born on November 22 1797 in Sowerby Bridge, near Halifax, England and at an early age he became a pupil of John Varley (see previous post entitled “John Varley – Watercolourist & Drawing Master”).  He even went on to marry Varley’s sister-in-law in 1813.

In 1810 he became an associate exhibitor in the Old Watercolour Society and then three years later a full member.  He went on to become the President of this Society, later known as the Royal Watercolour Society, in 1831, a position he held until his death (see previous post about the “History of Royal Watercolour Society” for more information).  In 1824 he won a gold medal at the Paris Salon alongside John Constable and Richard Parkes Bonington.

Like his teacher before him, Fielding also engaged largely in teaching the art but unlike John Varley he made ample profits.

Copley Fielding’s paintings were always highly popular with purchasers as he was an artist of much elegance, taste and accomplishment.  Early in his career he specialized in scenes of Wales and the Lake District, occasionally in oil colour but his preferred medium was always watercolour.  He was enormously prolific and much of his later work is repetitive.

From 1817 he spent much of his time on the south coast because of his wife’s health, and turned increasingly to seascapes and marine subjects.  He died in Worthing, Sussex on March 3 1855.

Today, specimens of his work from 1829 to 1850 can be seen in the water-colour gallery of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London as well as other major museums. Among the engraved specimens of his art is the ‘Annual of British Landscape Scenery’ published in 1839.

 

 

Categories: English Artists, European Artists, Watercolour Facts.

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John Varley – Watercolourist & Drawing Master

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July 20, 2011

In a few of our previous posts, we have made mention to John Varley in his capacity as an art teacher and the influence he undoubtedly had on his pupils, such as David Cox and Peter De Wint, so we thought it appropriate to learn a little more about this celebrated teacher who was also an excellent watercolourist in his own right.

John Varley was born in Hackney, London on 17 August 1778. His father, Richard Varley, had settled in London after the death of his first wife. For a brief time John Varley was employed by a portrait painter and then, at the age of 15 or 16, he attended an evening drawing school twice a week in Holborn, London run by Joseph Charles Barrow.  It was Barrow who took Varley on his first sketching tour to Peterborough from which he was to emerge as a professional painter.

Throughout his career he worked primarily in watercolour and was particularly skilled at the laying of flat washes of watercolour which suited the placid, contemplative mood that he often sought to evoke.

In 1798 he exhibited a highly regarded sketch of Peterborough Cathedral at the Royal Academy and became a regular exhibitor at the RA until the foundation of the Old Watercolour Society in 1805 (see previous article ‘History of the Royal Watercolour Society’).

As one of the founders of the OWS Varley exhibited many pieces there, over 700 drawings in total.  In between sketching expeditions to Wales and Yorkshire, he executed topographical views of towns, particularly of half-timbered buildings in Hereford, Leominster, Conway and Chester, drawn in the picturesque idiom of the late 18th century.

As previously mentioned, he also became a highly successful drawing master with pupils including David Cox, Copley Fielding and John Linnell but despite his success he was constantly in financial difficulties.

He died in London on 17 November 1842, aged 64.

 

 

Categories: English Artists, European Artists, Watercolour Societies.

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Kieron Williamson – Child Artist & Prodigy

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July 14, 2011

If we were to first show you one of Kieron Williamson’s paintings, we think you would be impressed by the standard.  However, if we were then to tell you that Kieron is still only eight years of age, we think you would be blown away.

Kieron was born on 4th August 2002 in Holt, Norfolk and was a typical energetic toddler who showed little interest in drawing until he was five years old, when, on the family’s first holiday to Devon and Cornwall, he was inspired to start drawing the boats and scenery.  “At the time, they were like the drawings of most five-year-olds” said his mum, Michelle “but he really took off after going to some art classes.”

As time progressed, so did Kieron’s abilities.  Whilst his parents, Michelle and Keith were not themselves artistic, they did enjoy art and collected works by Norfolk artists, so, when Kieron started to ask for help with putting paintings together, his parents turned to their local galleries and the artists who exhibited there for help.
During the summer of 2008, aged just six, Kieron used to spend an hour a week with Carol Pennington at ‘The Last Picture Show in Town’ in Holt and whilst Carol’s style was very contemporary and gave Kieron an opportunity to ‘loosen up’, he still kept to his own style.
As Kieron’s work consistently progressed, Michelle and Keith would regularly take it down to the ‘Picturcraft Gallery’ in Holt to get their opinion, and with kind support from Picturecraft, another local artist, Brian Ryder, agreed for Kieron to attend his adults evening watercolour course in 2009.  Another huge help in Kieron’s development has been artist, Tony Garner, who offered Kieron pastel workshops and one to one tuition in the Gallery.  In August 2009, two days before his seventh birthday, Kieron held his first exhibition and his 16 paintings sold out in 14 minutes, raising a total of £18,200 for 16 paintings.  A subsequent exhibition in Holt in July 2010 saw his paintings all sold within 30 minutes, at a total value of £150,000.
Kieron has become a global phenomenon and has been described as a child prodigy.  His paintings have sold worldwide, he has interest from over 35 countries and has over 1,800 followers.

Categories: English Artists, European Artists.

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David Cox

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July 10, 2011

Beach at Rhyl

David Cox was one of the most important figures in British Art during the so-called ‘Golden Age of Watercolour painting’ with a reputation for his fresh, lively landscape paintings and was considered by his contemporaries to be rivalled only by Constable in his portrayal of nature’s moods and the British weather.

He was born on April 29 1782 in Birmingham, UK and he initially studied drawing with Joseph Barber and also Fieldler, a painter of miniatures.  Following Fieldler’s suicide he went on to become a scenery painter at Birmingham Theatre Royal and at Astley’s Theatre in London where he moved to in 1804 and took lessons from the celebrated watercolourist John Varley.  While living in London he married Mary Ragg, the daughter of his landlady and in 1808, the couple moved to Dulwich.  At the same time, he abandoned scene-painting for the theatre, and took up watercolour painting for which he was to become so famous.

Whilst he exhibited regularly at the Royal Academy from 1805, his paintings never reached high prices, so he earned his living mainly as a drawing master.

By 1810 he was elected President of the Associated Artists in Water Colour and following the demise of the Associated Artists in 1812, he was elected as associate of the Society of Painters in Water Colour (the old Water Colour Society). He was elected a full Member of the Society in 1813, and exhibited there every year (except 1815 and 1817) until his death.

Between 1814 and 1827 he was based in Hereford where he taught at a girl’s school. He moved back to London in 1827, and was by this time quite well-known as a painter of landscapes. In 1826 he toured France, Holland and Belgium and, in 1829 and 1832, returned once more to France. Between 1844 and 1856 he made annual visits to North Wales where he made some of his finest watercolours. In 1841 he moved to Harborne, Birmingham where he lived and painted until his death in 1858.

David Cox also had a son of the same name who followed his calling as a watercolour painter. He was born in Dulwich and educated in Hereford. He exhibited in London from 1827, although today he is known mainly through association with his father.

Categories: European Artists, Watercolour Facts.

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Peter De Wint – English Landscape painter

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July 3, 2011

In our previous posts detailing the history of the Royal Watercolour Society and the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours, we referred to some of the founder members of these Societies and in our next few articles, we will provide further background to some of these artists.

First up is Peter De Wint who is probably one of the most important figures in the history of the watercolour medium.  His work today is still represented in major public and private collections throughout the world and is one of the most popular and sought after of all the British Romantic watercolourists.

De Wint was born on 21 January 1784 in Stone, Staffordshire and was the son of an English physician of Dutch extraction.  In 1802 he was apprenticed to the engraver and portrait painter, John Raphael Smith and in 1806 in visited Lincoln for the first time where he met his future wife, Harriet Hilton as well as John Varley, the celebrated teacher and Dr Thomas Monro, who ran an informal academy for young artists.  Both Varley and Munro were major influences on the development of De Wint’s style.

De Wint first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1807, and in 1809 he entered the Royal Academy schools. He was elected an Associate of the Old Watercolour Society in 1810 and was made a full member the following year. By that time, he had also built a very successful practice as a teacher and each summer would be spent teaching at the home of one of his patrons.

In 1812 he became a member of the Society of Painters in Watercolours, where he exhibited largely for many years, as well as at the Academy.

He frequently visited his wife’s home city of Lincoln, and many of his panoramic landscapes and haymaking scenes are set in Lincolnshire. He occasionally toured in Wales, and in 1828 travelled to Normandy.

He died in London on 30 January 1849.

De Wint’s life was devoted to art and he is quoted by his wife as often saying ” I do so love painting.  I am never so happy as when looking at nature.  Mine is a beautiful profession.”

 


Categories: European Artists, Watercolour Societies.

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