People / Artist of the Month
Buy exclusive art from Andrew Hood
This month’s artist is Andrew Hood, whose limited edition prints of original oil paintings are exclusively available through our online shop.
“I’ve always drawn but didn’t really start to paint till my late twenties, when I returned to university to study illustration,” says Andrew. “When I started painting, I wasn’t sure of which direction to take, but over the years I have found subjects that I find interesting, and which seem to draw me back time and time again. I like to find high viewpoints, mainly in cities, and observe what happens below.”
It is one such urban landscape that Andrew has captured in the original painting he is selling through Bristol24/7. “The piece for sale is of a small square in Palma, Mallorca,” he explains. “The square was quite an unassumingplace on first viewing, but it has some beautiful qualities and fantastic architecture. Most people just passed it by, but there was something about it that I found alluring and inspirational.
is needed now More than ever
Detail of A Square in Palma
“I always start with a drawing, often made on location, then possibly a series of small studies until I feel happy to take on a larger painting. I then block in most of the shapes to create the composition and try and let the painting take a journey of its own. I’ll add bits take things away and often almost completely restart the piece.”
The style he has developed over the year was honed by a week spent in France, working on location. “It was a real breakthrough moment for me, and after many hours drawing in a small town called Hyeres, I seemed to take some big strides forward and find some confidence in what I do,” he says.
Andrew at work in his studio
When not on the continent, Andrew has lived in St Andrew’s for the past 15 years. “It’s a great place to be and fantastic for the children. Bristol’s art scene is buzzing at the moment,” he adds. “People seem drawn here and there’s a lot of artists working full time across the city. I think everyone feeds off each other.”
With his next big show coming in 2018, Andrew now has some time to work on new projects. “I’m concentrating on some large paintings of London which verge on abstraction and a series of figure-based works that explore colour,” he says. Using just oils, household paint and enamels, he manages to produce incredibly complex works that draw you in for a closer look. “The more layers the better, this is what gives the piece depth!” he laughs. Hanging one of his images on your wall is sure to be a talking point.
Profits from the sale of Andrew’s work will go to Action for Children. “I always feel that children need our help more than others, especially in this day and age,” says Andrew. Keep up to date with Andrew’s latest work at www.andrewhoodgallery.com
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