New watercolours of the Arctic by painter of wild places, David Bellamy, 19 and 20 September 2017

A treat for lovers of the Arctic landscape – self-taught watercolour artist David Bellamy is exhibiting his latest paintings at London’s Osborne Studio Gallery in September.  

Self-taught artist David Bellamy lives in Wales, but travels widely in search of subjects.  He has always been inspired by mountains, and this exhibition celebrates his love of the Arctic in ‘all its moods.’

He has written 18 books on the subject of watercolour painting, the latest:  ‘Arctic Light: An Artist’s Journey in a Frozen Wilderness’ is published by Search Press.  Mountaineers Sir Chris Bonington and Doug Scott, Sir David Attenborough and travel writer Bill Bryson are among famous collectors of his paintings.

David Bellamy discovered the Arctic late in his artistic career.  Snow, ice and rock fascinate him.  The peaks of Greenland, Spitsbergen and the Lofoten Islands have held him in thrall.  In his own words:  “The dynamic nature of the Arctic world, where ice is constantly melting and re-forming, where streams stop and start, crash down into enormous ‘moulins’ or an Arctic storm blots out all but the closest features, are themes I find compelling.  In a world that is changing so rapidly, where threats are growing daily, it is vital that we realise how important it is to protect his landscape, this beauty, and this way of life of the local Inuit.” 

David has exhibited widely, and has made three DVDs about his Arctic expeditions in Greenland and Svalbard, Norway.  He is not averse to getting inside the ice, perhaps roping down into a crevasse, or exploring an ice canyon on the Greenland ice-cap in order to capture the intensity of light and colour through the translucency of thin ice. As for working in watercolour below zero, he has evolved his own techniques, including using gin in his painting water!

The exhibition is on 19 and 20 September at the Osborne Studio Gallery, 2 Motcomb St, Belgravia, London SW1X 8JU. Admission free.

For more information and a preview of the paintings click here