Artists Statement
So many painters have searched for these near ungraspable qualities of light for their entire lives, we could be forgiven for thinking that by the 21st century we would have experienced every nuance and expression of its gleaming brilliance and wearied of the exploration; but the search is of course unending - fostered by the resolute dedication of the few amongst every generation of artists. Walter Holmes is one of those few whose work explores the action of light on subjects which encompass cityscape, landscape and seascape at one extreme to the purely abstract at the other.
The search for a representation of light is not even the whole story in the case of Walter Holmes - it's what he feels about his subject which strikes you on seeing his paintings. You only have to look at a few to realize that he feels a great deal about what he sees, making his paintings both beautiful and emotionally powerful. He continues the English Landscape tradition in a unique way which pays homage to Northern Romanticism, Abstract Expressionism, Turner, Girtin, Constable and Palmer to name a few. It is Walter's technical skill as a painter combined with an understanding of light, and particularly his ability to convey emotional presence in his paintings, which set him apart from his contemporaries.
Education
Walter Holmes has been painting for 50 years. Following a formal education in earth sciences (Durham University and Imperial College, London), he studied art at various institutions, including Hammersmith and Chelsea Schools of Art and Newcastle University.
Exhibitions
Numerous exhibitions in galleries, including:
Blake Gallery, York
Lynn Painter Stainers Prize, London
The Reubens Gallery, Leeds
The Biscuit Factory, Newcastle upon Tyne
Gallagher & Turner, Newcastle upon Tyne
Gulbenkian Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne
The Peoples Theatre, Newcastle upon Tyne
NYAD2000, dfn Gallery, New York
National Acrylic Painters Association, Durham
New English Art Club, London
The Discerning Eye, London
Hatton Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne
Laing Calendar Competition, Newcastle upon Tyne (Prizewinner)
The Solent Gallery, Lymington, Hampshire
The Burford Gallery, Burford, Oxon
The Art Connection, Eton, Berkshire
Royal Society of Marine Artists, London
Royal Institute of Oil Painters, London
Pastel Society, London
Hydro Polymers Silver Longboat Competition (3 times Prizewinner)
North East Art Collective, Newcastle upon Tyne
Tallantyres, Morpeth, Northumberland
Queens Hall, Hexham, Northumberland
Trevelyan College, Durham
International Maritime Organisation, London
The Mall Galleries, London
