The Somerset-based artist David Brayne will be showing a collection of dramatic landscapes in his exhibition, “The Somerset Levels”, which opens at the Victoria Art Gallery on Saturday 11 February.
By mixing his own paints from raw pigments, David Brayne builds layer upon layer of luminous glazes – sometimes working into the paint with pastels and using ochre, ground oyster shells, chalk and brick, plus touches of silver and gold leaf.
Jon Benington, Manager of the Victoria Art Gallery, said: “A member of the Royal Watercolour Society, David has lived close to the Somerset Levels for many years. This flat, watery land touches much of his new work, not least in the paints he uses which are mixed from ingredients such as locally sourced ochre. His paintings distill shapes and colours to their essential yet evocative cores.”
Born in 1954, David Brayne studied at Nottingham School of Art, the Gloucestershire College of Art and Exeter University. Elected as a member of the Royal Watercolour Society in 2001, he has exhibited widely and been awarded a number of prizes.
Councillor Cherry Beath (Lib-Dem, Combe Down), Cabinet Member for Sustainable Development, said: “It’s an honour for Bath & North East Somerset Council to showcase David Brayne’s intricate and beautiful work at the Victoria Art Gallery. We welcome everyone to take a look at this awe-inspiring exhibition which captures the atmosphere of the Somerset Levels in a unique manner.”
All of the exhibited works of art are for sale and the exhibition runs until 22 March 2012.
The Victoria Art Gallery, near Pulteney Bridge in Bath, is open Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 5pm, Sundays 1.30pm to 5pm and closed on Mondays. Admission is free. For more details call 01225 477233 or visit the Gallery’s website http://www.victoriagal.org.uk.
