Tim Brown

Exhibition

13th August - 13th October

ARTIST’S ARCHITECTURAL INFLUENCE...

TO the casual observer Tim Brown’s dramatic painting of Sharp Edge on Blencathra would appear to have little to do with the tenets of architecture.

Yet the artist (who is a qualified chartered architect) argues that light, form and composition - essential elements of his daytime profession - are essential to his artistry.

“Combined with my studies in fine art and photography at the University of Cumbria’s Brampton Road Campus these elements define my artwork,” says the 49-year-old.

A series of Lakeland-inspired canvases - as well as several paintings of buildings - are currently showing at High Head Sculpture Valley, Ivegill, halfway between Carlisle and Penrith.

On a closer inspection, Tim’s canvases are deeply textured, reflecting his use of grit, straw, plaster and fabrics in a PVA suspension.

“It can be a slow process but you get unexpected textures and interesting results,” he says.

Once cured and primed, Tim adds acrylic paint and gilders` pastes with a knife.

“My paintings are very much an emotional response to what I see, framing a moment in time and experience,” he says.

Tim, who lives at Hayton near Carlisle, admits to burning the midnight oil to complete his paintings as daylight is taken up with his architectural practice.

“I have to be very disciplined with my time but once I get an idea for a painting I get this burning need to produce it,” he says.

Sharp Edge - one of the highlights of his exhibition - took him several weeks to complete.

His exhibition is showing until October 13.

Since qualifying, in Liverpool, as a Chartered Architect I have worked throughout the northwest and founded Ashton Design Architectural practice in 1992.

Light, form and composition are essential elements of Architecture and these, combined with studies in Fine Art and Photography at Cumbria Institute for the Arts, define my artwork.

My interest lies in strong compositions with light, texture and colour combining to create a dramatic image; an emotional response framing a moment in time and experience.

Canvases develop using a build up of natural and man made material such as grit, straw, plaster and fabrics in a PVA suspension. Once cured and primed, acrylic paint and gilders` pastes are added.