REX PRESTON Solo Exhibition 2021

Rex Preston

REX PRESTON: Solo Exhibition 2021

Solo Exhibition

17 APRIL - 9 MAY 2021

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REX PRESTON: Solo Exhibition 2021 Rex Preston was born in Yardley, Birmingham in 1948, but lived in various places around the Midlands until his family settled in Derbyshire when he was 16. He trained at Newcastle under Lyme School of Art and then Derby College of Art. Although he is mainly self taught, this early training in life drawing and perspective has proved invaluable to him.

After college, Rex initially worked as a print designer, but never stopped painting in whatever spare time was available and soon began to sell several of his paintings. At the age of 21 he resigned from his job to concentrate on painting full time; a decision he has never regretted.

He has always had a fascination with the wild, unspoilt moorland areas of the Peak District. ‘ My enthusiasm for painting the Derbyshire landscape has never waned over 50 years. It provides an endless variety of subjects from rugged moorland to tranquil dales, from grit-stone edges to quiet woodland. I rarely venture out into the Peak District at any time of year without finding a subject to inspire me. Even familiar places vary completely with changing seasons, light-effects and weather’ Each year Rex goes on many painting trips around the country, either finding new areas to paint or revisiting favourite areas like Cornwall or the Lake District and in recent years Norfolk.

He never accepts commissions, which leaves him free to paint whatever he wants with enthusiasm.

‘I spend as much time as possible out in the countryside whatever the weather searching for subjects, sometimes accompanied by either my wife Sue or my son Mark, who is also a successful artist. When the weather allows, I paint out on location and just walk until something takes my eye. I quite often don’t know what I am looking for, but it usually involves colour, light and reflections.’

‘It’s an exhilarating experience to be surrounded by nature in all the elements, sitting in front of an easel with the adrenalin flowing, getting lost in concentration. It’s very intense, but very satisfying’

Looking back…

‘In 2020, the spring weather was amazing, but due to the pandemic, all our trips were cancelled and the advice was to stay at home, so I was glad that I had saved a few spring paintings from the previous year. I have always taken a sketch book out with me, so over the last 50 years I have accumulated an enormous collection of sketch books, so am rarely short of things to paint. If I am painting from a sketch, I surround myself in the studio with my plein air paintings for colour reference. I also tend to paint the current season, so I can go for a walk and familiarise myself with the colours. We did manage to have one trip to Cornwall and one to the Lake District when the restrictions were eased in the summer. Spring to early summer is usually the time when I paint on location the most, trying to capture the fresh colours and spring weather.

During the lockdowns, I have really missed the freedom to take off whenever and wherever I want to find my subjects. I have always valued that freedom, but Covid has made me appreciate it all the more.

My studio can often stay almost unused from March to June, as I paint in Cornwall, the Lakes and of course Derbyshire. Things were very different last year, although I don’t think it’s obvious from the paintings, apart from maybe a few less spring subjects in this exhibition.

It’s also been really hard to see so little of family and friends. I doubt I have ever had an exhibition before when my family and friends have seen so few of my paintings on the wall in our house and given their honest opinions. Mark and I regularly criticise each other’s paintings and it’s really important to get a range of opinions. Also our house has been very quiet without the grandchildren and family’s regular visits.

Last year I spent a lot more time in the studio due to the restrictions, but I still painted the majority of the time. As most things were cancelled, I probably spent even more time working. Fortunately I have never lost my enthusiasm for painting - I can’t wait to paint the next canvas. ‘ Rex Preston March 2021

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REX PRESTON: Solo Exhibition 2021 Rex Preston painting on Totley Moor. The painting to the left is the final result. Hare’s-tail cotton grass is an important and attractive plant found on the boggy moorland of the Derbyshire Peak District. Growing tall in dense tussocks, the fluffy, cotton-like seed heads provide food and shelter for many other peatland specialist species. The dreamlike quality of the seed heads appearing to float over the moor is perfectly captured in Rex’s painting

Hare’s-Tail Cotton Grass, Totley Moor Oil on canvas framed 30cm x 30cm

‘The first trip out painting in summer after the first lockdown, was to Totley Moss with my wife Sue and we were met with an amazing sea of cotton grass. I have never seen so much of it. It’s really peaceful there and well out the way of people, so it was really good to sit amongst the dancing cotton grass and do my first plein air painting of the year. It felt like a real privilege to be out at last amongst the vast open landscape. The intense blue sky and the cotton grass dancing in the breeze was a very uplifting sight.’

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REX PRESTON: Solo Exhibition 2021

River Derwent, Grindleford Oil on canvas framed 35cm x 61cm

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REX PRESTON: Solo Exhibition 2021

Path Along the River Wye, Chee Dale Oil on canvas framed 30cm x 30cm Breaking Waves, Priest's Cove, Cornwall Oil on canvas framed 35cm x 40cm

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REX PRESTON: Solo Exhibition 2021

Summer Grasses, Houndkirk Moor Oil on canvas framed 25cm x 76cm

The painting of ‘Summer Grasses, Houndkirk Moor’ on the easel as it’s being completed.

The sense of light and warmth is captured as well as the exceptional colour matching.

The mastery demonstrated in paintings like this is in the ability to see the landscape, organise the components and quickly assemble the composition. Initial blocking in has to be directly related to the colours and textures which will follow. It’s a complex set of intuitive decisions set in a constantly changing environment - light, temperature, weather.

It’s like alchemy and an example of why Rex is held in such high regard as a plein air painter.

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REX PRESTON: Solo Exhibition 2021

Autumn Sunlight, Peak Tor Oil on canvas framed 25cm x 76cm

Cloud Shadows, White Edge Moor Oil on canvas framed 30cm x 30cm

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REX PRESTON: Solo Exhibition 2021

Windswept Crab Apple Tree by Rosewall Hill, Cornwall Oil on canvas framed 20cm x 61cm

A feature of the west coast of Penwith is the shape of the trees, forced over many years to grow away from the prevailing wind from the sea.

‘I would usually set my easel up to paint the opposite view with the sea in the background, but I wanted to show the wild moorland landscape of Cornwall, which always reminds me of the Derbyshire moorland edges.’

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REX PRESTON: Solo Exhibition 2021

Rex Preston on location in the Lake District. This area is a favourite location which Rex regularly returns to - the choice of location is critical to a successful painting. Familiarity with the area makes the choice of format and scale when working in the landscape easier and allows a more direct approach to the subject. The structural strength can be seen by the point of light in the foliage in the centre of the painting - a touch of white indicating water. From that point, a ray of lines spread through the composition - the descending row of trees on the lake shore, the receding shore line of the mountain, the rise of the tree echoed by the shoulder of the mountain, the other mountains facing across the picture plane. The composition is fluidly dynamic, demonstrating the rapid, intuitive assimilation of elements.

Reflected Light, Crummock Water Oil on canvas framed 30cm x 30cm

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REX PRESTON: Solo Exhibition 2021

Summer Evening Burbage Moor Oil on canvas framed 51cm x 61cm

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REX PRESTON: Solo Exhibition 2021

Sunshine after the Rain, Stanage Edge Oil on canvas framed 30cm x 40cm

Spring, Fleetwith Pike, Lake District Oil on canvas framed 51cm x 61cm

September Morning, Totley Moor Oil on panel framed 20cm x 40cm

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REX PRESTON: Solo Exhibition 2021

Mayblossom and Broom, above the Derwent Valley Oil on canvas framed 40cm x 40cm

June Afternoon, Stanage Edge Oil on canvas framed 40cm x 40cm

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REX PRESTON: Solo Exhibition 2021 ‘A trip in the summer to Curbar Edge seemed disappointing at first as it was crazily busy, but after a short walk wandering off onto White Edge Moor, it was really peaceful and I could only hear the sound of the breeze and a distant curlew. While sketching the moorland, a burst of sunlight made the light coloured grasses glow against the dark sky’

Preliminary sketch - White Edge Moor…

Silver Birch Trees, White Edge Moor Oil on canvas framed 61cm x 61cm

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REX PRESTON: Solo Exhibition 2021

Summer Breeze, Higger Tor Oil on canvas framed 51cm x 51cm

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REX PRESTON: Solo Exhibition 2021

Summer Flowers, Priest's Cove, Cornwall Oil on canvas framed 30cm x 30cm

Late Summer Grasses, Treen Common, Cornwall Oil on canvas framed 40cm x 40cm

‘We did manage to have one trip to Cornwall and one to the Lake District when the restrictions were eased in the summer. Spring to early summer is usually the time when I paint on location the most, trying to capture the fresh colours and spring weather’

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REX PRESTON: Solo Exhibition 2021

Sunset, Curbar Edge Oil on canvas framed 46cm x 76cm

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REX PRESTON: Solo Exhibition 2021

Autumn, Monsal Dale Oil on canvas, framed 76cm x 76cm

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REX PRESTON: Solo Exhibition 2021

Cotton Grass, Totley Moss Oil on canvas framed 61cm x 61cm

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REX PRESTON: Solo Exhibition 2021

Autumn Colours, Fairbrook Oil on canvas framed 40cm x 40cm

‘Autumn Colours, Fairbrook’ on the easel in situ. When paintings are viewed in the gallery, in pristine white frames, well lit, in a warm comfortable environment, it’s easy to forget what went into the creation of these exquisite works. Finding the inspirational location, and actually getting to it with all the equipment is a challenge in itself. Then there is the weather to deal with and the changing light, the seasons. It’s a time-constrained process where a painting has to be ‘seen’ by the artist and to be successful it has to happen quickly: organising the composition, colour palette, mood and treatment from what can be a challenging and visually chaotic environment. Years of experience can build a visual language, a facility with paint, memories of other problems and solutions. Then, if everything lines up the painting can start….

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REX PRESTON: Solo Exhibition 2021

Early Autumn, River Derwent, Rowsley Oil on canvas framed 51cm x 51cm

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REX PRESTON: Solo Exhibition 2021

December Wind, Baslow Edge Oil on canvas framed 35cm x 102cm

‘It would be impossible to paint some of the weather effects without experiencing them at first hand. In mid December on a dry, cold and windy day, I felt the need to get out of the studio and go for a walk. The cold wind was bending the birch trees on Curbar Edge and I had to shelter amongst the bracken to be able to sketch the view of Baslow Edge. A man passed by and just said “cold fingers!” I thought it was the Peak District at its best.’

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REX PRESTON: Solo Exhibition 2021

Derwent Moor Oil on canvas framed 91cm x 107cm

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REX PRESTON: Solo Exhibition 2021

Preliminary annotated sketch for ‘Autumn Morning, Rowsley’

Autumn Morning, Rowsley Oil on canvas framed 46cm x 51cm

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REX PRESTON: Solo Exhibition 2021 Rex Preston is one of the country’s leading landscape artists with a national and international reputation.

He trained at Newcastle under Lyme School of Art and then Derby College of Art. His home area of the Peak District and Pennines has exerted a huge influence on his painting though he paints other parts of the UK, particularly Cornwall and the Lake District.

This exhibition has been scheduled to open on 17 April since well before the beginning of the pandemic and the paintings cover some of the months of Covid 19.

In the exhibition catalogue, Rex reflects on what the year has meant for him.

His abstracted landscapes, dealing with the mood and colour in a subject, will be a joyous herald of brighter days to come, his paintings focusing on reflections in water or the sunlight coming through the clouds...

You can see all of Rex Preston’s paintings on our website at gallerytop.co.uk The gallery is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10am until 5pm and on Sundays from 11am until 4pm.

CHATSWORTH ROAD, ROWSLEY, DERBYSHIRE DE4 2EH 01629 735580 INFO@GALLERYTOP.CO.UK WWW.GALLERYTOP.CO.UK

The paintings will be available for sale on our website on 10 April 2021 GALLERYTOP.CO.UK