Soft impressionistic renderings of architecture, landscapes, and cityscapes in the Mediterranean
Nicholas Verrall employs a whole range of artistic techniques in the development of each piece, including colour blending, glazing, brushwork effects, impasto and finally a layer of varnish to protect and lift the whole image. These so-called tricks of the trade reflect an accomplished painter, whose mastery over his medium means that he can concentrate on capturing the overall sentiment of the scene.
"In all my paintings, whether the subject happens to be a Provençal landscape, a balcony crowded with potted plants, a quiet interior or a Venetian antiques shop, invariably there two elements that interest me most – light and colour. I am constantly fascinated by the way that a certain quality of light can radically alter the character and impact of a subject and make it something unique, and it is this moment of 'uniqueness' that I try to capture in my paintings through the considered use of colour." (Nicholas Verrall – Introduction to 'Colour and Light in Oils')
Nicholas’s subject matter evocatively let us enter world far from the daily grind of city life, far away from the incessant noise, the frenetic pace and throngs of people. As we look at these pieces and let these beautiful images appear in our unconscious mind we allow ourselves to be transported to tranquil and serene world. The world of delight and unadulterated charm and we may imagine ourselves actually sitting there on that Tuscan terrace, soaking in the magnificent scenery deliciously bathed in a rich afternoon light, now we start to feel so relaxed and so at peace in quiet reflection. Verrall gives us a very personal perspective, an extremely intimate point of view. As we see the scene through our own eyes all these wonderful sensory experiences begin to grow and fill our conscious mind.
The paintings of Nicholas Verrall have that magical quality, in their quiet, understated way; they have a dramatic effect on your whole sensibility. These pieces are so evocative of those hidden away places and those sacred moments that you must respond immediately. Nicholas’s work will transport you from Norfolk to Prague via Venice and Provence. But such is the utter joy of his work that wherever he takes you, it’s where you want to be.
It’s good to pass it forward when you have looked back for inspiration. And Nicholas has talked a lot of his admiration for Bonnard, Matisse and Monet. He’s also mentioned Edouard Vuillard, perhaps taking from him a lesson in composition. Vuillard said: “A painting that is well composed is almost finished.” And it’s definitely the case that the beauty in Nicholas’s work emerges as much from the spatial harmony as the colour and texture.
Selected Exhibitions
2019 Royal Society of British Artists Annual Exhibition
2018 Royal Society of British Artists Annual Exhibition
2017 Royal Institute of Oil Painters Annual Exhibition
2016 Royal Institute of Oil Painters Annual Exhibition
2016 Royal Society of British Artists Annual Exhibition
2015 Royal Institute of Oil Painters Annual Exhibition
2015 Royal Society of British Artists Annual Exhibition
2014 Royal Institute of Oil Painters Annual Exhibition
Solo Exhibitions
2018 Catto Gallery, Hampstead
2016 Catto Gallery, Hampstead
2009 Catto Gallery, Hampstead
2008 John Davies Gallery
2007 Catto Gallery, Hampstead
2006 Restrospective University of Surrey (painting added to their Collection)
2004 Catto Gallery, Hampstead
2002 Catto Gallery, Hampstead
2001 Art Obsession Inc Hong Kong
Group Exhibitions
2010 Royall Fine Arts Tunbridge Wells
2010 John Noott Gallery Broadway
2004-2008 Russel Gallery, Wykeham Gallery, Pattersons ‘Venice in Peril’
2001 RA, Brian Sinfield Oxfordshire
Public & Private Collections
Tate Britain, London, UK
Crown Life
Surrey University, Guildford, Surrey, UK
Coys of Kensington, UK
B.A.T.
George Michael
the late Victoria Wood
Lesley Joseph
Gabby Roslin
