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Andrew Barrowman

Landscape Artist

Andrew has had an interest in drawing from an early age and followed this up by attending a technical illustration course at Mid Warwickshire College of FE (Leamington Spa) when leaving school. He then began using watercolours and became interested in wildlife and landscape painting which was less restrictive than the technical aspects of the illustration course at college. He was offered a job in an art studio near Stratford Upon Avon doing paste-up work and black and white illustration for advertising and took it, gaining valuable experience working with a great team of artists and typesetters. After three years he was made redundant because of the pace of computer change in the industry and by chance an opportunity to go back to college doing a wildlife illustration course at Carmarthenshire college of technology and art arose.

This was a great move and gave him the time to go out painting from life and move into acrylic and oil paintings on a larger scale. He finished the course as student of the year, passing with distinction. During this period he met many artists and was invited to work with a book illustrator on several projects and a mural artist at Machynlleth centre for alternative energy.

After leaving college he stayed on in Wales illustrating books on themes such as ‘spiders’, ‘turtles’ and ‘history of the world’ and painting wildlife of the Llandeilo area. He was offered an artist residency for the National Eisteddfod of Wales in Llandeilo in 1995. For this project (commissioned by The Arts Council of Wales) he worked in eight primary schools, each one producing a mural depicting the wildlife in their location, such as red kites flying above the Towy valley or otters swimming in the local river.

An opportunity to move to Cornwall occurred in 1995 and new landscape paintings were possible living so close to the sea. The new rugged landscape inspired several exhibitions at Falmouth Arts Centre, joint exhibitions with Cornwall Wildlife Trust and other artists. He was also commissioned to paint two murals for Mullion comprehensive school and to work with the children at St Keverne CP School on two murals.

After taking a break from serious painting for a few years to help look after the children, his enthusiasm has returned and he has started painting full time again and exhibiting locally.

 

Brief summary of exhibitions to date:

Solo Exhibitions - Helston Folk Museum gallery - Helston, Cornwall, Falmouth Arts Centre; Cox’s Gallery - Stratford-on-Avon; Pictures and Things - Helston; National Trust - Widecombe in the Moor, Dartmoor; Black Swan Gallery - Frome, Somerset;

Joint Exhibitions - The Smithy, Ship Inn - Porthleven; Cornwall Wildlife Trust - Truro; Art in the Wild - Bodmin Moor; Art in the Wild - Heligan, Mullion Post office gallery; Royal Cornwall Show - Wadebridge.

 

Andrew Barrowman brief summary of art career