Philip Ryland
Philip Ryland is a fine artist based in Surrey and for nearly twenty years has drawn inspiration from the landscape around him. For the last decade he has solely focused on his local patch of military owned Surrey heathland. He uses painting and drawing to explore different aspects of its nature and the landscape, as well as the effects of the military, and other users of the space.
In this time his work has gone from figuration to abstract and back again. This latest body of work is the closest to ‘landscape’ that he has produced in a while and is inspired by the idea of Hokusai’s ’36 Views of Mount Fuji’, whereby he is painting and drawing essentially the same view, but at different times of the day and through different seasons.
His painting style is fluid and colourful, with finished paintings often derived from a series of sketches and smaller works on paper that aim to explore the essence of the subject matter. He is happy when working on large or small scale and often likes to counter his large colourful paintings with finely detailed and intimate pencil drawings
I was born in Nuneaton, Warwickshire and studied Fine Art, sculpture at Staffordshire University. After my degree I moved to London and was commissioned to paint murals for the Brockwell Lido. I have been painting and have remained in the Southeast ever since. I was able to leave my full time occupation in 2003 after gaining a series of commissions for a national bar and restaurant chain and have been a full time artist ever since, working to commission for several corporate and private clients as well as exhibiting in the UK and overseas at art fairs. I have a live/work studio in Farnham.
b. 1971 Nuneaton, Warwickshire.
Lives and works in Farnham, Surrey and is currently Artist in Residence at Barfield Prep School, Farnham.
Qualifications and Training:
1990 – 1993: Staffordshire University, Stoke on Trent.
BA (hons) Fine Art, Sculpture.
1988 – 1990: North Warwickshire College of Technology and Art, Nuneaton, Warwickshire.
BTEC National Diploma in Fine Art and ‘A’ level Art.
Selected Exhibitions and events:
2022
- February. Smyth McKee, 12x12 Group show. Philadelphia and online.
2021
- Lead Artist for The Big Draw: Make the Change.
- October, Farnham Maltings.
- July, Farnham Museum.
- February. Abstraction. Group show, Will's Art Warehouse, London.
2020
- July. Retrospective. Solo show at Tiny Cat Gallery, Bristol
2019
- September. Surrey Artist of the Year, shortlisted group show, New Ashgate Gallery, Farnham.
- July. Guildford Arts Fringe Festival. Yvonne Arnaud, Guildford.
- July. Wild Card Postcard Auction, George Abbott School, Guildford.
- June. Surrey Artists Open Studios.
- Winter/Spring collection, McAllister Thomas Fine Art, Godalming.
2016
– Transitions. Solo show, AH Gallery, Farnham.
2015
– West End Centre, Aldershot.
– Lace Paintings, Baker Tilly, Guildford
– Access Arts #Shareabird school’s project.
– All Hallows School Artist in Residence Workshops.
