Vivid new landscape paintings by Gareth Thomas go on show at Swansea’s Attic Gallery
17 June – 8 July
The many moods and colours of Wales, France and Italy come to Swansea’s Attic Gallery this month in an exhibition of new work by Gower-based painter Gareth Thomas.
Born in Swansea in 1955, Thomas had a passion for painting from a young age. He attended Trinity College, Carmarthen and in 1979, after rejecting the idea of a ‘safe’ career in teaching, he decided to paint full time.
He initially made his name with sensitive watercolour paintings of Wales, but has consistently pushed the boundaries over the decades that followed, expanding his reach both geographically and expressively. He now works mostly in oil, acrylic and pastel, travelling regularly not only around the coastline of Gower, Wales and Scotland but also to Provence, in search of inspiration.
“I’ve tried to let myself become more colourful, fluid and bold, and to work on a larger scale – and that is starting to come through now,” he says.
While his style and palette have changed, a common thread throughout his career has been a passion for painting outdoors: this enables him to capture the ever-changing light and mood of the scenery.
The resulting paintings are vivid and deeply atmospheric. While the sunny glow of his Provence pieces is keenly sought after, demand for his paintings of the South Wales coastline is as strong as ever. He has clearly achieved his goal of evolving as an artist, but taking his audience with him.
www.atticgallery.co.uk/index.php/current-exhibition.html
