Guy Warner

I use a vibrant colour palette to paint the Cotswold landscape as seen from my vantage point as a walker, roaming its footpaths and byways. I enjoy a wonderful sense of freedom wandering on footpaths through the hills and I try to capture that feeling in my pictures.

The fact that I am often alone in the landscape suits my goal of creating unpeopled pictures, where the viewer plays the role of the lone traveller and therefore has space for contemplation, away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

I paint, in part, to enjoy creating the optical illusion of a real, solid scene; but also from a desire to capture, permanently, the life enriching colour and beauty which in nature is only momentary and fleeting. Living in the Cotswolds provides me with a great source of beauty, both natural and man-made, which fuels my desire to keep painting.

Over the years, my work has been informed and inspired by many different styles and artists, from famous colourists such as Monet or Gauguin, to less well known British artists such as John Nash and David Inshaw, helping me develop a style that fits with my aim of creating my own pastoral vision of the Cotswolds.

When I find a scene that inspires me, I snap two or three photos and use those images as my starting point. I often make a sketch, or else go straight from photo to canvas or paper. The photos give me a rough guide to colour and form, but I don’t let them restrict me. I’m always analysing the landscape around me and thinking about how certain elements can be represented in paint.

I like using both oils and watercolours. I build each picture in layers of colour, often working on three pictures at a time, so that whilst one layer of paint dries I can be working on something else. I hope that you enjoy my work.