Sumptuous, rich, moody, charismatic, ambiguous – just some adjectives that spring to mind when gazing deeply into these wonderful oils on canvas.
Tim Watt is a diverse and popular local artist based in Banbury. He recently won a ‘Peoples’ Choice Award’ when almost 2,000 visitors cast their vote to choose their favourite piece of artwork in an innovative exhibition at Modern Art Oxford.
The piece was ‘Outside’, an oil painting of his friend Lena Bintley whom he often uses as a model, and the award well deserved. Tim Watt is not simply an artist but a people studier, a portrayer of inside and out, a teller of tales. He loves to contrast the light and dark sides of life.
‘Butterfly’ - shows a girl (Lena) in a thoughtful and embryonic pose on a chair. Her dress is blood red and velvety, the use of oil and the light Tim gets in his work make her flesh and the dress look quite edible. The eye is drawn into her present state and that’s where his study comes in – what is her story? If they were lovers have they just had an argument? Is she broken and emotionally fragile? He provides the viewer with a new role - you become the storyteller.
‘Legend’ a portrait of a guy ‘who’s a bit of a character’ and based on a photo taken of him down the pub is a letterbox of a painting. Arms folded in the kind of cocky pose that says ‘I’ll have the last say and I’ll be right matey boy’, black t-shirt and watch to match – I had him down as a builder or gangster. It’s a great touch that you don’t see his face because you end up reading his body language.
Even more thought provoking as a story is ‘The Girl in Red’ – Is she swathed in god-light and kneeling in prayer? Is she a kind of Little Red Riding Hood? Again the contrast in colours of deep reds, Cotswold stone ruin and shady dark corners is stunning. Tim’s influence as a base for the idea was a portrait of St Francis of Assisi.
Ambiguity is king here, fairytales are rife and the portraits simply fabulous to look at. For those tempted enough to want to gaze for longer, all Tim’s work is available to buy and whether you push the boat out with an original canvas or pick up a mounted print – you will be forever inventing different tales.
‘Fairytales’ runs until this Saturday at The Stables Gallery and after that you can see more of his work at Chipping Norton Theatre in April.
Tim Watt is a diverse and popular local artist based in Banbury. He recently won a ‘Peoples’ Choice Award’ when almost 2,000 visitors cast their vote to choose their favourite piece of artwork in an innovative exhibition at Modern Art Oxford.
The piece was ‘Outside’, an oil painting of his friend Lena Bintley whom he often uses as a model, and the award well deserved. Tim Watt is not simply an artist but a people studier, a portrayer of inside and out, a teller of tales. He loves to contrast the light and dark sides of life.
‘Butterfly’ - shows a girl (Lena) in a thoughtful and embryonic pose on a chair. Her dress is blood red and velvety, the use of oil and the light Tim gets in his work make her flesh and the dress look quite edible. The eye is drawn into her present state and that’s where his study comes in – what is her story? If they were lovers have they just had an argument? Is she broken and emotionally fragile? He provides the viewer with a new role - you become the storyteller.
‘Legend’ a portrait of a guy ‘who’s a bit of a character’ and based on a photo taken of him down the pub is a letterbox of a painting. Arms folded in the kind of cocky pose that says ‘I’ll have the last say and I’ll be right matey boy’, black t-shirt and watch to match – I had him down as a builder or gangster. It’s a great touch that you don’t see his face because you end up reading his body language.
Even more thought provoking as a story is ‘The Girl in Red’ – Is she swathed in god-light and kneeling in prayer? Is she a kind of Little Red Riding Hood? Again the contrast in colours of deep reds, Cotswold stone ruin and shady dark corners is stunning. Tim’s influence as a base for the idea was a portrait of St Francis of Assisi.
Ambiguity is king here, fairytales are rife and the portraits simply fabulous to look at. For those tempted enough to want to gaze for longer, all Tim’s work is available to buy and whether you push the boat out with an original canvas or pick up a mounted print – you will be forever inventing different tales.
‘Fairytales’ runs until this Saturday at The Stables Gallery and after that you can see more of his work at Chipping Norton Theatre in April.