James Bartholomew
“I am fascinated by the interplay between a subject and light and how changing weather can alter the essence of something so completely.”
Since 1992, James has worked as a contemporary landscape and seascape painter.
He has a strong reputation within the British contemporary art market and his recognisable, ‘loose and energetic’ style has gained widespread acclaim. Strong light and colour are often central to James’ paintings and dynamic viewpoints are a feature in many.
He was made a full member of the Royal Society of Marine Artists (RSMA) in 2002 and his work has also received several notable awards; most recently the Kenneth Denton Award for his painting ‘Atlantic Blue 4’
James mostly works in pastel & watercolour together, the mediums soon becoming mixed up. The pastel will sometimes get wet and moved around within the paint, becoming simply a pigment. Other times it is used over the top of the dry paint. Through this method, the vibrancy can be reintroduced with the pastels and the painting can be changed at any stage. This leaves plenty of room to experiment on the surface without worrying about spoiling the painting.
