Breeze

Experience ‘The Spirit of a Gadgie!’

A Charming and Nostalgic Art Collection
By Alexander Millar

Breeze Art Gallery in Peebles cordially invite you into the gallery to indulge yourself in the latest captivating collection of nostalgic art by renowned Scottish artist Alexander Millar.

Experience ‘The Spirit of a Gadgie!’ the breeze art gallery in Peebles on:

Friday 28th May 7 – 9pm

Join us for a glass of champagne and discover ‘The Spirit of a Gadgie’ at our exclusive event as we honour Alex’s work. Join the celebration and have the unique opportunity to:

• Bid for a signed Alexander Millar classic style leather football – Charity auction
• Exclusive Limited Edition – ‘H’Way The Lads’ – Only available at event
• Enjoy a glass of Champagne

Call the gallery now on 01721 721 684 for more information

Experience ‘The Spirit of a Gadgie!’

A Charming and Nostalgic Art Collection
By Alexander Millar

Breeze Art Studio at Loch Lomond Shores cordially invite you into the gallery to indulge yourself in the latest captivating collection of nostalgic art by renowned Scottish artist Alexander Millar

Experience ‘The Spirit of a Gadgie!’ the breeze art gallery at Loch Lomond Shores on:

Saturday 29th May 11am – 1pm

Join us for a glass of champagne and discover ‘The Spirit of a Gadgie’ at our exclusive event as we honour Alex’s work. Join the celebration and have the unique opportunity to:

• Bid for a signed Alexander Millar classic style leather football – Charity auction
• Exclusive Limited Edition – ‘H’Way The Lads’ – Only available at event
• Enjoy a glass of Champagne

Call the gallery now on 01389 720 341 for more information

Experience ‘The Spirit of a Gadgie!’

A Charming and Nostalgic Art Collection
By Alexander Millar

Breeze Art Gallery at Jenners cordially invite you into the gallery to indulge yourself in the latest captivating collection of nostalgic art by renowned Scottish artist Alexander Millar

Experience ‘The Spirit of a Gadgie!’ the breeze art gallery in Jenners on:

Saturday 29th May 3 – 5pm

Join us for a glass of champagne and discover ‘The Spirit of a Gadgie’ at our exclusive event as we honour Alex’s work. Join the celebration and have the unique opportunity to:

• Bid for a signed Alexander Millar classic style leather football – Charity auction
• Exclusive Limited Edition – ‘H’Way The Lads’ – Only available at event
• Enjoy a glass of Champagne

Call the gallery now on 0131 220 2655 for more information

A huge thank-you to all our customers who were able to join us in all four galleries across the weekend. Our Paul James events in Peebles, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Loch Lomond Shores were a huge success with great interest shown in both the fabulous art work and, indeed, Paul himself.

Thos who were able to attend were also treated to some of Paul’s music on the gallery’s CD player while viewing some wonderful pieces of art.

View some of Paul James’ art online here at the breeze gallery.

breeze is delighted to announce that Fabian Perez will be appearing in our gallery in Glasgow on Sunday the 23rd march 2010.

Fabian’s style is unique. He likes to paint with acrylic because it dries quickly and this allows him to follow his impulses. The bold and symbolic imagery feels intensely passionate.

Fabian paints with his emotions and each painting reflects his drive and energy. The paintings become a roadmap, a guide with many directions, where the viewers decide which path they wish to experience.

“It’s been thirty years that my wheels travel on a sandy road. In my tracks, I’ve left things behind, and lost many others. As the wheels turn I can see a road ahead, that will take me to many new experiences.

Contact our Glasgow gallery for more information on 0141 221 0189

View some of Fabian’s art work online

Come and meet internationally known landscape and wildlife artist Paul James at the breeze art galleries. Paul will be revealing an outstanding collection of originals and limited editions many of which have not been on display in this country.

Visit our events section for details of when Paul will be visiting a gallery near you.

To view more of Paul’s incredible art work, please click here

Anna Razumovskaya is a graduate of the Russian State University For Arts, where she was awarded the distinction of high-class artist in 1991. Subsequently, studying art in Germany, Belgium and Holland. With solo exhibitions in New York, Paris, Toronto, Amsterdam, Antwerp and Berlin and numerous works in private collections across the globe, her authority as an artists needs little explanation.

Anna Razumovskaya’s art has a pervasive sense of ‘romanticism’. The passionate and dynamic application of paint on the canvas and the artist’s signature use of expressive colour, combine to create Razumovskaya’s distinctive style.

Razumovskaya describes the creative process in the following terms.

“…If an artist were asked what he was thinking of while creating his work, he would hardly give a reasonable answer to that question. This process cannot be analyzed. It is like a miracle.

You are just drawing and that is all… simply not thinking of anything definite. The moment you start thinking… and that’s it- unnecessary stroke, unnecessary detail. God knows how it all happens. Pleasure, passion, joy here are characteristics of this process.”

“Quickly, easily, brightly: this is the way I draw, the same way I live. My art is a reflection of my life, a reflection of myself…”

Contemporary Chinese painter and sculptor Wu Ching Ju was born in the tranquil rural setting of Fonglin, Taiwan. She grew up fascinated by the ancient traditions of China and, after secondary school, went on to study oriental humanities. She soon became interested in the traditional art of flower arranging, embracing the disciplines of simplicity, elegance and harmony, which are essential ingredients of ancient Chinese culture and spiritual well-being.

Meeting her Dutch husband-to-be at the age of 22, Wu Ching Ju moved from Taiwan to America, where her husband had been assigned to work. A chance meeting with an elderly Taiwanese friend of the family in LA led to Wu Ching Ju being introduced to an old Chinese artist who encouraged her to start drawing and painting, as well as teaching her about ancient Chinese culture and legends.

Moving back to Taiwan in the late 80s, she became known for the art of her flower arranging. In 1993, she moved to Holland, enrolling in art classes in Maastricht to master western techniques. From here, she was introduced to the discipline of sculpture, which she fell in love with immediately. Finding an artesian caster in Belgium enabled her to finish the cast herself, from sanding and polishing to patination, which she believes is an integral part of the sculpture process.

Wu Ching Ju’s excitement stems from fusing Chinese with Western culture and, in her sympathetic hands, the Western figurative dimension is abstracted from the traditional form harmoniously and sensuously, honouring Chinese values and at the same time taking it forward to new levels of expression. The rhythmic vitality in her work represents pulses of life, like a heartbeat. She finds inspiration in the history, legends and religions of China, from the worldly royal households of the emperors of China to the spiritual side of the poor monk and his followers.

Wu Ching Ju’s work is much in demand, with several significant collections of her work established across Europe. Collectors include members of Royalty, diplomats and senior figures in banking, law and business. She has had over 15 solo shows in addition to numerous group exhibitions across Belgium, Holland, Jersey and Guernsey.

Commenting on her work, she says, “Emotions play an important part in my work. With each statue or painting I try to express a feeling, with serenity, modesty, sadness, tranquility and joy featuring prominently in my work. Once I start drawing the first lines of my sketches I become completely engrossed in my subject. If it is a statue, I then model the figure using wax. Only when I am completely satisfied do I make the trip to the foundry to have my work cast in bronze. I am able to completely shut out the outside world, which, in oriental philosophy, is extremely important. Only when you can completely concentrate are you at peace with yourself, enabling you to discover who you really are.

Wu Ching Ju lives in Maastricht with her Dutch husband Paul and their children Floris and Carol.

Tim was born in Northumberland in 1958, educated at Sedbergh and later graduated from Wimbledon School of Art with an honours degree in Theatre Design. Initially employed by a theatre company designing sets and arranging special effects, and later working in a variety of galleries, Tim’s early career offered ample opportunity for him to indulge his two main interests – painting, and the observation of human behaviour!

Tim’s celebrated style has a broad appeal. His work has been displayed nationally and internationally for several years and he has been officially named as the Harrods Picture Gallery’s most popular artist. His success has led to commissions for a number of corporations, top flight restaurants (including Gary Rhodes’ Greenhouse) and bars, card collections and of course individual collectors.

When asked to describe his artistic style, Tim points the same ruthless spotlight at himself as he does at his subjects, saying simply that “.a wry observation of life and an unwillingness to take anything seriously more or less sums up his work, typically forgetting to mention the imagination and artistry that characterises each of his images.

Tim’s overwhelming rise in popularity was reflected when he scooped the Fine Art Trade Guild’s Best Selling Original Print Artist award in May 2001.
“I am fascinated by the incredible diversity of life. and am constantly inspired by the fact that it always seems a whisker away from farce.

When he was just 11 years old, a young Arron Bird picked up a can of spray paint for the very first time and created his first painting ‘Street Level’. Now, 24 years later, Arron is more famously known by his tag, Temper, and has achieved phenomenal success as a graffiti artist.

Although he supported himself by working at a variety of jobs, Temper always knew that his heart was with painting. His big break came in 2001 when he was chosen to produce the design to go on 100 million Sprite cans. Suddenly his tag was seen all across Europe in the biggest graffiti advertising campaign to date.

This propelled Temper’s career to new heights; he went on to undertake commissions for the likes of Coca-Cola, Saatchi and Saatchi and the BBC to mention but a few. His “Minuteman” exhibition at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery in 2001 made graffiti history once again. He became the first graffiti artist ever to be awarded a solo show in a major public gallery space and broke all attendance records in the process, attracting 38,000 visitors within four weeks.

Temper has gone on to receive massive commercial success, paving the way for many graffiti artists and was the first to ever paint a conceptual collection in the UK. In 2007 he became the first graffiti artist to be awarded a commission for a major piece of public art. The Cube development is set for completion in 2010 and will be Birmingham’s next landmark building. It is designed by Ken Shuttleworth and Temper’s sculpture will adorn the central atrium of the building. To date, the concept of the work is under tight wraps but promises to bring visitors to Birmingham from all over the world.

His ‘A New Day’ collection marked the beginning of a new chapter for Temper, as he moved towards traditional fine art, despite the work still being painted with aerosol. This 12 piece collection of nudes has a much more classical feel to it. In November 2008, Temper made an impact in London by launching his collection ‘Post Graphaelite’ at the Banqueting House, Whitehall Palace, London. This tenth collection by Temper is a collection of studied and expert use of symbolism, astrology, Pre Raphaelite idealisms and a desire to herald the advancement of graffiti, brought together with spectacular impact.

Susan was born in Yorkshire and graduated from Leeds with a BA Honours degree in Three Dimensional Design in 1979. She went on to become a highly respected interior designer but in her spare time worked on her personal passion, fine art painting.

Now an established artist, Susan creates bold and vibrant images which present what she describes as the real world. She sees them as an interpreted record of life through architectural studies of existing surroundings. These explore the mathematics, rhythm and movement within structures and the relationship between man and the built environment in an exciting and immediate style. Her background in design has given her an exceptional command of colour, texture and pattern, which gives these images a dual quality of technical and aesthetic beauty.
Susan is an elected member of both the Chartered Society of Designers and the Society of Architectural Illustrators. Official recognition has also come in the form of awards at the Laing Art Competition, Hunting Art Prizes and Singer & Friedlander/Sunday Times Competition. Her paintings can be found in a number of prestigious collections including those of Dame Janet Baker, the Sir George Martin Trust, Arthur Anderson, Benningbrough Hall, The National Trust, Halifax plc, Natwest Bank and Provident Financial.

Simon Kenevan was born in London in 1963, but while he was still a child he moved to the south coast of England. He has fond memories of these idyllic early days, describing himself as free-spirited, running barefoot in the sand and climbing trees. At a young age when his family separated, Simon learnt to be self sufficient and self contained. This independence has remained with him ever since, and has been in part responsible for the poignant and reflective qualities in his paintings.

After leaving school in 1982 Simon joined the crew of a fishing boat, reaffirming his lifelong relationship with the sea. As soon as he managed to save enough money he bought a 14ft rowing boat, fulfilling his ambition to work alone and become closer to the natural environment. It is from this time in his life that he dates the start of his real love affair with the elements, becoming aware of the inspiring majesty of the sea and sky, and the sheer power of the wind. Although both his parents were artists, art did not feature as a tangible part of his life, yet the solitude brought about by his work gave rise to much thought and observation, and sowed the seed for his future career.

As time passed Simon began to translate some of this experience into artistic compositions, and discovered an amazingly rich talent. In 2003 he settled in the USA and a whole new world opened up for him. Here he encountered a school of painters, the “Sublime” movement, that was to have an immense influence on his artistic path. These pioneering 19th century artists were attracted by the scenic breadth of the diverse continent of North America. As Simon says, “I know that I experience the landscape with the same spiritual intensity as these artists did, and like them, I aim to inject that divine inspiration into every piece of work I produce.”

Simon is now creating the finest work of his career and has been named as a finalist in the DeMontfort New Artist Competition 2006. His inspirational pastel seascapes are sold across Europe and the USA.

The second of four children, Simons flair for art was first noticed when he won his first art competition at the age of six. Other childhood art prizes were to follow, including several in his teenage years and a national art students painting prize while he was at college.

Many influences were coming together and shaping an inner vision of the world that was to inform Simons passion to create, not just an image, but an experience. Something to heal and enrich, something that would make a difference.

In the early years at boarding school, the sense of desolation he felt whilst away from the bosom of the family opened him up to an intense search for spiritual nourishment. Coming from a religious background had meant that a sense of God was always present with him, but as he grew older, a desire for a more tangible spiritual reality led him to the Bible and eventually to find in the person of Jesus, one who brought him the peace he so badly needed as well as a new purpose and sense of destiny.
While still at art school he married Joanna, his childhood sweetheart. As time passed the economic challenges that faced the growing family were many, but always there would be some buyer who saved the day, some last minute commission that turned up. During the late seventies and early eighties the skills in printmaking that he acquired at art school and which had especially fascinated him began to pay dividends. He sold his first three editions to Pallas Gallery in London and then entered a relationship with London Contemporary Art who sold out many of his meticulously worked multi plate etching editions.

Throughout this period Simon painted the world around him. Travelling extensively to the East, he trekked with his paints through the foothills of the Himalayas, toured the Mediterranean and spent many weeks painting the mountains of the English Lake District where he and Joanna now live with their four children. However, as each year passed a deeper creative current seemed to pull at the artist. Once again it seemed that what had happened during his teens in the spiritual realm was now touching him in the creative realm; a sense of something more, of something waiting to be touched and expressed beyond the world of visible realities. He was moving away from painting the outward things, his canvases began to be expressions of the inner world, the world of the heart and of the spirit where the real life of mankind is felt and lived.

Like a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis the rich and vibrant style for which he has since become world famous began to find expression, to find a voice. It was not until his major one-man show at Harrods in London where seventy-six of his paintings were exhibited together, that the effect of this new work came home to him.

“I remember walking around the show listening to what people were saying. I began for the first time to understand what my paintings had become. The people were telling me! People were being transported, the colors and imagery were becoming a means of conveying the viewer into another world, the miracle was happening. People were being hit right in their emotional center.”

In 1997 he was rewarded with the accolade of the UK best-selling artist award shortlist, despite competing with a hand made editions program against mass produced editions. Again in the year 2000 he was short listed for the awards, this time in two categories: Best selling published artist overall and best selling original print artist. He won outright the Artist’s Print Award for being the best selling artist in the UK of original hand finished prints. The prizewinners were chosen from a detailed poll of the fourteen hundred retail art galleries in the United Kingdom who are members of the Fine Art Trade Guild.

In 1998 a management company, Simon Bull International Ltd., was formed to handle the marketing of the painters prolific output and in 1999 a separate corporation, Simon Bull International Inc., was established in the US to represent his increasingly important US program.
His art has come a long way since he held aloft his prize at the local cinemas Saturday Matinee coloring competition in 1964. But that same passion to play with color, to create with radiant hues, harmonies that affect the senses, remains with him still.

“If I can touch a life. If through my painting I can show something previously unseen. If I can reveal something old in a new way, if I can enrich a soul on its journey into the eternal, then my painting, my living, has not been in vain.”

Over the course of her impressive career Sherree has become one of the UK’s most collectable contemporary artists; with a discerning international following of art lovers, she enjoys an unrivalled reputation in the international arena. Her impressionistic approach lends a unique charm to each stunning, figurative composition, her subtle hand blending each detail into a creation of captivating elegance.

Sherree was born in Effingham in Surrey. After completing her early education she undertook a fine art course at the Epsom School of Art. As soon as she graduated she set about persuading local institutions to exhibit her work and her success was immediate. She soon came to the notice of the art world and won a number of accolades including the Young Artist of the Year Award from the Royal Society.

Sherree’s formidable talent has made her a favourite with many celebrity collectors, notably several members of the British Royal Family. She has enjoyed a range of prestigious commissions including one from the MCC to paint the Ashes series at each of the test grounds. Many famous names in the world of show-business have sat for her including Joanna Lumley, John Sessions and Michael Parkinson. She was also commissioned to paint portraits of Jonny Wilkinson and Martin Johnson for a pair of
commemorative Limited Editions (signed by both artist and player) celebrating England’s World Cup Victory; the Original of Jonny Wilkinson was bought by the man himself. In 2007 she has released a beautiful, highly-illustrated hardback book, First Impressions, as well as working on a TV series with Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen.

Sherree prefers to use oil on canvas as she finds this to be the purest and “most painterly” medium available to her. She has exhibited at the Tate Gallery, the Barbican, the Royal Society of British Artists, the Royal Institute of Oil Painters, the Laing Landscape Exhibition, the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours, the Royal Watercolour Society, the Hesketh Hubbard Art Society, the New English Art Club, the National Society of Painters, the United Society of Painters and the Pastel Society. Sherree’s work is also in the Lord’s Museum and is held in many private collections all over the world.

Coming from a large family I was constantly looking for ways to amuse myself and soon discovered that drawing and painting were by far my favourite. I also made frequent trips abroad to my father’s native Hungary, encountering for the first time the larger than life ladies and gents who were probably the earliest influence for the characters in my paintings.

Although I found school to be an unpleasant experience I enjoyed art and music classes, so it was natural for me to pursue an artistic career. I completed a foundation course at Harrogate College of Art where I studied a range of subjects, including photography, sculpture and graphics. During this time I maintained a lifelong interest in simple drawing, and always enjoyed the life class most.

From Harrogate I went on to study illustration at Cleveland College of Art. The same interest in studying the human form continued and led to the development of the extreme figures in my work.

I left Cleveland, taking with me a HND with distinction and a handful of paintings, but I didn’t yet know how to turn my studies into a job, so the painting went on the backburner.

In 1991 I set up a business called ‘Wild Thing’ hand making papier-mâché models, ranging from twisted newspaper sheep to 7-foot giraffes. These were sold from a shop in York, and kept me busy for a couple of years until I decided to display the work I had left college with. The ‘big girls with attitude’ sold surprisingly quickly and encouraged me to concentrate on painting instead as my chosen career.

Since then I have been painting non-stop. Along the way my partner took responsibility for publishing my work as greetings cards until I found an agent who in turn introduced me to Washington Green and Halcyon Gallery in 1995.

I have since had my work published as limited edition prints, greetings cards and jigsaws as well as having various exhibitions over the last 4 years.

Robin is one of the UK’s most exciting figurative artists. His stunning contemporary nudes and female figures are painted exclusively in oils, and many of his techniques and methods are classical in execution. There is a strong sense of modernity in his work however, which originates in his rich use of contextual colour and his playful approach to perspective. His detailed figures are placed against bold blocks of colour set at interesting planes and angles, which introduces a feeling of
energy and warmth.

Despite his formal art education Robin describes himself as a self-taught painter. While his compositions are clearly contemporary in style, they are firmly rooted in the rich tradition of European figurative painting. His fascination with this genre has led him to cite a range of influences, from the beautiful dancers of Edgar Degas to the formal elegance of John Singer Sargent’s portraits.

Robin was born in Nottinghamshire. After completing an Art and Design Foundation course at Clarendon College, Nottingham, he moved to Cornwall where he embarked on a BA Honours Degree course in Illustration at Falmouth College of Arts. He now lives and works in Nottinghamshire.

Robin has been a full time artist for several years, and his work has been shown to great acclaim across the UK.

Born in Toledo, Ohio, in 1938, Robert Heindel recalls that both drawing and painting were a natural focus for him. A progression to art school simply wasn’t possible either financially or practically. Instead, like many young artists he found himself a job in a professional art studio. He became a correspondent of Famous Artists School during those years and comments ‘ Famous Schools taught me self discipline – the very fact that I had to meet deadlines, ensure I returned my work and then await the outcome, certainly prepared me well for the future at first in the illustrative and later the gallery business. Most significantly , it taught me quickly to function alone for painting is not a joint project’

Forty years on and Heindel is himself an honorary member of the Schools board and now an inspiration to young artists.

Following graduation from Famous Artists his career flourished. At first in the world of illustration where, during the 1970′s, he was recognised as one of Americas finest and achieved work on the covers of ‘Time’ magazine and won a place in the permanent collection of The Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC

One night in the early 1980′s chance tickets to the ballet (Nureyev & Fonteyn no less) presented him with unfamiliar territory which found at once compelling and his obsession with dance was fired. More than twenty years on he has made contemporary ballet his world, earning such responses as ‘the greatest painter of dance since Degas’ (David Bintley – Artistic Director of Birmingham Royal Ballet). Heindel has worked with many of the worlds leading ballet and dance companies, always preferring their rehearsal periods. Such companies include The Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Rambert Dance Company, American Ballet Theatre and San Francisco Ballet. In pursuing this direction he has accordingly worked with and painted many leading names from dance – Darcey Bussell, Irek Mukhamedov, Viviana Durante, Sir Anthony Dowell, and Sir Frederick Ashton to name but a few. Heindel’s oil canvas of ‘Sir Fred’ is now within the permanent collection at The National Portrait Gallery in London.

Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber commissioned Heindel to paint impressions from his musicals ‘Cats’ and ‘Phantom of The Opera’ during the mid 1980′s. These impressions were then seen world-wide in the theatre productions.

Diana, Princess of Wales was an admirer and collector of Heindel work, attending some of his exhibitions. Other royal guests to his exhibitions over the years have included Princess Margaret, Princess Caroline of Monaco and Prince Takamado of Japan.

Fine Art Trade Guild Award Winner: ‘Best New Artist 2008′. Rebecca’s distinctive oils on canvas are beautifully depicted portrayals of life on the land and the sea. The large ensemble cast of figures, boats and sea birds creates an impression of ceaseless activity, and this is heightened by the natural curves of the classic English harbour which provide movement and energy. Her palette is based strongly on the colours of the sea, with blues, greens and greys dominating the entire canvas.

Rebecca was born in Purbeck, Dorset in 1971. After completing an Art Foundation Course she graduated from the University of Liverpool with a BA Honours degree in Illustration. She went on to build a highly successful career as an artist and illustrator, fulfilling commissions for a number of high-profile clients including Paul McCartney’s Music Academy, as well as a range of magazines and record sleeves.

Rebecca is now able to devote more time to her painting and has travelled the world from Ireland to India undertaking prestigious corporate commissions. She has exhibited in a range of high calibre galleries in the UK, Europe and the USA and her evocative oils sell to collectors from all over the world.

As the Sixties swung and Britain subverted the old order, photographer Philip Townsend was there to record all the prime people of the time, beautiful and ugly alike: the debs and their beaux, louche lords and club owners, press barons and business moguls, stars and socialites, artists and creatives, royals and ruffians, and above all the new aristocrats of pop and rock, spearheaded by the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.

Remarkably, Townsend’s entire photographic career exactly spanned that most remarkable of decades, when London was the coolest of capital cities. He took his first serious pictures in 1960 then, in 1970, he put away his cameras for good and casually consigned his pictures to a cupboard. It was only in recent times when he looked at them seriously again, that he found a half-forgotten treasure trove; a time capsule that vividly resurrects those photogenic times. The rescued works are now sought after by magazines and newspapers throughout the world, by galleries such as the National Portrait Gallery, and by collectors worldwide. The reason is simple: Philip Townsend’s pictures are the Sixties.

While other photographers took portraits, often closely cropped, Townsend instinctively widened his frame to include backgrounds, landscapes and the sheer feel of the period. A fine example is his portfolio of the Rolling Stones, including their first ever picture sessions, when they were broke and hungry, without a recording contract, a band not yet on the run. Townsend bought them barbecued chickens and set about fostering the semi-delinquent image which they still cultivate today. It has been said that while the Beatles, whom Townsend also photographed in their first flush of fame, were bad boys turned good through the influence of their late manager Brian Epstein, the Stones were goodies who became stage baddies.

Their first manager, Andrew Loog Oldham, whom Philip had met as a young chancer on the waterfront in Monte Carlo, was grooming an unknown group for stardom and needed an image-maker to make the dream happen. The group was the Rolling Stones, and his brief was to make them look “cruel, tough and streetwise”. Townsend’s innovative pictures have never been bettered.

He moved effortlessly into the nascent world of rock, photographing the Beatles many times, as well as other pop icons of the Sixties such as Gene Pitney, Johnny Ray, the Searchers, Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin and Peter and Gordon (whom he briefly managed), Twiggy, Charlotte Rampling and Princess Alexandra dancing with Marlon Brando. But there was also a serious side to his work. For instance he photographed the aftermath of the 1966 Aberfan mining disaster with great sensitivity.

At the end of the decade he abruptly abandoned his cameras and his career in photography. “I suppose the magic of the 1960s was beginning to fade anyway,” he says now, trying to rationalise his decision, “but if there was a turning point it was when I was standing with a load of snappers in Whitehall, trying to get a picture of Cabinet Minister Patrick Gordon Walker, who was about to resign. One old boy turned to me with a wink and said, “He’ll be coming out the back of the building, not the front. Trust me, I’ve been doing this for 45 years”. I thought, I don’t want to be doing this in 45 years. So I just stopped.”

Unlike most of his contemporaries from those casual times, Townsend was shrewd enough to keep his copyright. His unique collection is one of the few to remain in the hands of its creator. He once said that “photographing people is like shooting ducks”. Few photographers have aimed better – or bagged better trophies.

I hope that I manage to capture the dignity and pride of the mill, mine & factory workers who all too often lived and worked in such harsh environments, but I also would like to think that could they see my work, it would have made them smile.

I try to portray the funnier side of life and I’m sure many would agree that ‘real life’ can be many times more amusing than fiction!

My observations of animals enables me to draw upon a situation and turn into something quite quirky. Sheep, pigs, cats & birds all lend themselves perfectly, as does the dog ……. ! As I know from experience, the dog is not always the brightest of sparks on the planet and often their antics can beggar belief! In view of my work, I hope that the next time that someone sees a dog or a sheep – that they will never see them in the same light again!

Most of my work evolves constantly … often at a rate that I physically have a problem trying to keep up with. All too often my wife has to remind me to eat and sleep even then I have to fight the urge to sneak out of bed to scribble down a fresh idea!

One of my main influences as a child has to be Rolf Harris. I used to watch his shows on TV and never ceased to be amazed at the way he seemed to throw paint at a wall and scrub it with a yard brush then hey presto! ‘a work of art’ would appear before my very eyes … wonderful!!

I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Rolf wasn’t at least partially responsible for many a 40yr old being an artist today! – Cheers Rolf!

In my honest opinion – we artists are, and will be ‘forever children’, we have never grown out of wanting to paint and make things! Fortunately for some of us – we actually get paid to do it!

Contemporary images of Paul James’s traditional animal paintings on a backdrop of modern day graffiti are sure to hit the mark with many art collectors. The collection includes quirky images of much loved animals including a swan, a duck and cows set on these spellbinding backgrounds. The originals for a number of this latest collection will be on display during Paul’s gallery appearances in all breeze art gallery locations throughout Scotland, 23-25th April. Signed limited edition will also be available.

Leicestershire-born artist Paul James is a remarkable and fascinating man. He is a gifted wildlife, animal and landscape artist and an amazing composer and pianist.

His artistic and musical abilities became apparent from a relatively early age and with the support and encouragement of his parents he is essentially self taught.

It was the haunting beauty of the nearby Charnwood Forest that greatly influenced his early atmospheric landscape and animal paintings for which he became renowned.

Paul James will be touring all the breeze galleries with a stunning collection of originals and his latest limited edition collection, some of which have never been seen in this country.

Call 01389 720 341 for more information

Contemporary images of Paul James’s traditional animal paintings on a backdrop of modern day graffiti are sure to hit the mark with many art collectors. The collection includes quirky images of much loved animals including a swan, a duck and cows set on these spellbinding backgrounds. The originals for a number of this latest collection will be on display during Paul’s gallery appearances in all breeze art gallery locations throughout Scotland, 23-25th April. Signed limited edition will also be available.

Leicestershire-born artist Paul James is a remarkable and fascinating man. He is a gifted wildlife, animal and landscape artist and an amazing composer and pianist.

His artistic and musical abilities became apparent from a relatively early age and with the support and encouragement of his parents he is essentially self taught.

It was the haunting beauty of the nearby Charnwood Forest that greatly influenced his early atmospheric landscape and animal paintings for which he became renowned.

Paul James will be touring all the breeze galleries with a stunning collection of originals and his latest limited edition collection, some of which have never been seen in this country.

Call 0141 221 0189 for more information

Contemporary images of Paul James’s traditional animal paintings on a backdrop of modern day graffiti are sure to hit the mark with many art collectors. The collection includes quirky images of much loved animals including a swan, a duck and cows set on these spellbinding backgrounds. The originals for a number of this latest collection will be on display during Paul’s gallery appearances in all breeze art gallery locations throughout Scotland, 23-25th April. Signed limited edition will also be available.

Leicestershire-born artist Paul James is a remarkable and fascinating man. He is a gifted wildlife, animal and landscape artist and an amazing composer and pianist.

His artistic and musical abilities became apparent from a relatively early age and with the support and encouragement of his parents he is essentially self taught.

It was the haunting beauty of the nearby Charnwood Forest that greatly influenced his early atmospheric landscape and animal paintings for which he became renowned.

Paul James will be touring all the breeze galleries with a stunning collection of originals and his latest limited edition collection, some of which have never been seen in this country.

Call 0131 220 2655 for more information

Contemporary images of Paul James’s traditional animal paintings on a backdrop of modern day graffiti are sure to hit the mark with many art collectors. The collection includes quirky images of much loved animals including a swan, a duck and cows set on these spellbinding backgrounds. The originals for a number of this latest collection will be on display during Paul’s gallery appearances in all breeze art gallery locations throughout Scotland, 23-25th April. Signed limited edition will also be available.

Leicestershire-born artist Paul James is a remarkable and fascinating man. He is a gifted wildlife, animal and landscape artist and an amazing composer and pianist.

His artistic and musical abilities became apparent from a relatively early age and with the support and encouragement of his parents he is essentially self taught.

It was the haunting beauty of the nearby Charnwood Forest that greatly influenced his early atmospheric landscape and animal paintings for which he became renowned.

Paul James will be touring all the breeze galleries with a stunning collection of originals and his latest limited edition collection, some of which have never been seen in this country.

Call 01721 721 684 for more information