CHRIS NEALE WELSH LANDSCAPE ARTIST
Welcome to the website of Chris Neale, Welsh landscape artist. Here you can view my current original work for sale and buy my limited edition fine art prints.
I have always loved painting since I was a child but after taking a foundation course in art I decided to study graphic design as my sensible head reassured that it would give me a living. During the course of that career I produced many illustrations in various media and in 2002 decided to return to painting as a channel for my love of the Welsh landscape.
Pastel and Acrylics
Producing a prolific amount of work over the years in many types of media, it was to be pastel and acrylics that became my staple use. Pastels satisfy the love of drawing I have and the rich matt pigments create a very intense experience. Acrylics are more spontaneous and forgiving. I find myself running my hands over the finished surface as if to absorb the image. I still produce watercolours sometimes, enjoying mixing concentrated pigments, letting them dry thickly and pulling colour off. When I work I try to fully exploit the characteristics of the individual medium.
Sketchbook, Camera, Maps and Dogs
I spend a lot of time walking with my sketchbook, camera, maps and dogs. A strong sense of composition and colour simplifies the image and my aim is to capture the emotion and drama of a place, often with an aesthetic that has all but disappeared with the battle of modernisation in the countryside. Romanticism is shunned in favour of capturing the struggle between man and nature. The inevitable decay of our endeavours and their reclamation by nature both fascinates me and gives hope in a world that we have enforced our control over.
Having lived in Pembrokeshire for over 20 years I am inevitably drawn to the coast and the constant movement of the sea against the shoreline. It has also shaped my palette which I often try to pare down to the minimum. Since a young child I have always been drawn to the play between blues and ochres which often surfaces in my work. After spending lots of time in north Wales I am now living and working here. The landscape is much more raw and unforgiving than Pembrokeshire with a primeval beauty, not unnoticed by others!
“If there is one word that distills my work, I think it is the Welsh word Hiraeth”
Since 2002 I have taken part in many joint and solo shows across Wales but have never kept a record of them. Oops. My philosophy has been to just keep my head down and get on with it. I have a regular show at Ffin y Parc Gallery, Llanrwst, a lovely gallery and well worth a visit. I also have work in other galleries across Wales.
For news and updates click on the Facebook (f) link at the bottom of the page.