Les Matthews

From: 7th September 2022
Until: 10th November 2022

Les Matthews is a world-renowned artist based in Clevedon, North Somerset. During a professional career that spans four decades, he has exhibited both in the UK and internationally, including two years at the National Gallery. His highly sought-after paintings are featured in many private and public collections worldwide.

Les is a painter in oil, gouache, egg tempera and watercolour, an illustrator and a teacher. Born in Bristol, he was educated at the local Cathedral School, Gloucester College of Art 1964–7 and the Royal College of Art 1968–70. He worked in the Conservation Department, National Gallery, for four years, then as head of Art in schools, including Churchill School, Somerset, from 1984. Solo and many mixed shows include RA Summer, RWA, Bath Society of Artists, formally a member of the Bristol Savages, Bristol Guild, BWS, Erotica, Kaleidoscope and, Sunday Times, Mall Galleries. He illustrated for OUP and notably Transworld Corgi. His wide subject range includes the female nude, Egyptology and mythology, chivalry and science fiction. 

Les says: 

My work uses traditional Renaissance techniques; many learnt from when I was a restorer at the National Gallery London.
I am inspired by cityscapes and architecture; I love the way they constantly grow and change. These inspirations began on my first visits to New York where I really saw skyscrapers scraping the skyline of Manhattan!
Often my work has shades of tonal panelling where I try to give the imagery a structure that belongs to the painting itself not based on what I see. Some shapes pick out the areas of particular interest to myself either emotionally or visually, some are purely compositional.
I do see myself in a deep figurative tradition, but I am an artist not a camera!​

Contact details:
Click here to visit Les Matthews's profile on Artlands to find out more.
Click here to visit Les Matthews profile on Clevedon Art Club.

Come and see Les’s work at Studio 3 Gallery.​