CHRISTOPHER PALMER

Christopher Palmer is a British artist working between London and his studio in Leicestershire. Having developed a passion for painting flora and fauna over the past twenty years his style has become distinctively unique. Studying both painting and illustration (Loughborough & Northumbria) helped form an early interest in line, tone and colour as well as the technical relationship between detail and representation. The bringing together of these forms, exploring the balancing point of an image reflecting its environment and characterising it, has been an enduring fascination.

Beyond the beauty of the natural world inspiration is drawn from a wide range of visual references. The studio is filled with an eclectic assortment of old English wood carvings, Georgian needlework, Victorian naturalist prints, modernist textile patterns, Celtic weaves, Islamic tiles and Asian ceramics; as well as a vast collection of entomology, feathers, shells and taxidermy. Many hours had been spent in the National galleries studying 14th century expressions of wildlife, 18th & 19th century romantic symbolism as well as more contemporary graphical translations of nature; all contributing to the shaping of Christopher's work.

Paintings on canvas or linen, most pieces take several weeks to complete and will have gone through several iterations; constantly being revisited. The relationship between the central subject and the background are critical to the success of the overall image. Sometimes playful the painting must have depth without taking itself too seriously and feel comfortable in its own space. It is often the process of balancing tone, shape and positioning that takes the most time - to ensure that the painting works holistically and feels naturally pleasing to the eye.

Christopher's works hang in several public and private collections, he has a number of well-known patrons (internationally and in the UK) and through recent collaboration with a luxury fashion house, his work will soon be represented in a bespoke collection of silks.


CHRISTOPHER PALMER

COAL TIT

Oil and Mixed Media on Linen

CHRISTOPHER PALMER

RED POLLS

Oil and Mixed Media on Linen