Nigel Sharman studied Textile Design at the University of Brighton. Since leaving college in the mid 80's, Nigel has worked across several design fields both here in the UK and internationally in New York and Southern Africa. While his formal artistic education took place in Brighton he puts his real education down to,

''being dragged round the galleries of West Penwith in Cornwall as a small boy by my father and introduced to work by Alfred Wallis and Ben Nicholson.''

While currently living and working in London, Nigel's roots are firmly in the South West of England, where the landscape and culture still influence his work. He uses oil paint on canvas, sometimes using board as well, with particular concern for colour and composition. Though Nigel paints semi-abstracts, there remains a certain figurative read to his work. He abstracts from a source, such as a landscape, a harbour, boats, a still life, or a nude by removing some of the conventions of represesentaion. By placing objects carefully, Nigel hopes to create ''an awkward but calm relationship'' between his subject and the viewer. The excitement for Nigel is seeing a painting come into being through applying layers of textured , quickly applied paint which is then worked into and seeing the work integrate itself into the canvas as a whole.

Moving further afield Nigel is heavily influenced by mid century European and American painting such as Giorgio Morandi, William Scott, and Paul Nash.

''Maybe in ten years time I will be fully abstract. I can't just throw paint around and pretend it means something. I want to evolve and fully understand the thought processes and practices of the modern artists of the mid twentieth century''

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Breaking Wave by Nigel Sharman

Oil painting