REX PRESTON Solo Exhibition 2019

Rex Preston Solo Exhibition

www.gallerytop.co.uk

6 – 28 April 2019

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Rex Preston Solo Exhibition

6 – 28 April 2019 Welcome to gallerytop, a contemporary art gallery with an outstanding reputation for contemporary British art based in Rowsley, in the Derbyshire Peak District. Gallerytop curates around eight exhibitions throughout the year together with a permanent range of paintings, limited edition prints, sculpture, ceramics, glass and jewellery by some of the finest artists working in the UK today.

Rex Preston is a highly successful artist who has achieved a national reputation as a landscape painter. He travels the country on painting expeditions and has produced sumptuously iconic paintings of Cornwall, the Lake District and particularly of the Derbyshire Peak District. His work is collected internationally and is in significant demand. We are delighted to be working with Rex curating the 2019 solo exhibition at gallerytop. We are privileged to be Rex Preston’s primary representative gallery in Derbyshire. gallerytop offers the Arts Council Own Art scheme, which encourages the purchase and collection of contemporary art through an interest-free loan scheme of up to £2,500

All of the paintings in the exhibition are available for purchase upon receipt of this catalogue.

For further information please contact the gallery by phone on 01629 735580 or e-mail info@gallerytop.co.uk

The paintings of Rex Preston in his 2019 solo exhibition at gallerytop

Saturday 6 April - Sunday 28 April

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To see all of the paintings with details of prices and sizes, please visit

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Rex Preston Solo Exhibition In his early years as an artist, he painted a variety of subjects, but his interest in nature and the countryside naturally led him towards landscape painting. The development of his style was never a conscious decision, and has continued to evolve over the years. His love of the countryside and continuous observation of weather and nature has shaped all of his painting.

He has always had a fascination with the wild, unspoilt moorland areas of the Peak District. “My enthusiasm for painting the Derbyshire landscape has never waned over 50 years.

6 – 28 April 2019 It provides an endless variety of subjects from rugged moorland to tranquil dales, from grit-stone edges to quiet woodland. I rarely venture out into the Peak District at any time of year without finding a subject to inspire me. Even familiar places vary completely with changing seasons, light-effects and weather” Each year Rex goes on many painting trips around the country, either finding new areas to paint or revisiting favourite areas like Cornwall or the Lake District and in recent years Norfolk.

‘…to be surrounded by nature in all the elements, sitting in front of an easel with the adrenalin flowing…

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Rex Preston Solo Exhibition

6 – 28 April 2019

‘I paint out on location and just walk until something takes my eye…’

Painting on location (see page 18)

‘Mayblossom and Bluebells, near Baslow Edge’

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Painting on location (see page 19)

‘Summer Grasses, Totley Moor’

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Rex Preston Solo Exhibition Rex Preston was born in Yardley, Birmingham in 1948, but lived in various places around the Midlands until his family settled in Derbyshire when he was 16. He trained at Newcastle under Lyme School of Art and then Derby College of Art. Although he is mainly self taught, this early training in life drawing and perspective has proved invaluable to him. After college, Rex initially worked as a print designer, but never stopped painting in whatever spare time was available and soon began to sell several of his paintings. At the age of 21 he resigned from his job to concentrate on painting full time; a decision he has never regretted.

Despite being a highly successful painter of traditional landscapes, in the 1990s Rex experimented with breaking the landscape down into simple colour tones, trying to see just the colour and not the detail. These more abstract paintings used all the same skills as his traditional landscapes but focused on the mood and colour.

6 – 28 April 2019 "My early efforts were quite abstract, but seemed to be very favourably received and sold very well. I went as far away from traditional as I could, almost abstract and then came back to a style that is between abstract and representational. " Rex has always enjoyed painting outside directly from the subject. He has a list of all the equipment he needs, as forgetting one vital thing can waste the whole day.

"It's an exhilarating experience to be surrounded by nature in all the elements, sitting in front of an easel with the adrenalin flowing, getting lost in concentration. It's very intense, but very satisfying" Drawing has been a major part of Rex's life and he has been filling sketchbooks since the age of 14. He uses sketching as a very useful way to quickly record fleeting light effects and atmospheres. He has developed his way of sketching over many years, his sketches act like a sort of shorthand to him. Although done quite quickly, a simple sketch with the occasional colour note acts as a complete reminder to him of the light effects and colour of the landscape, whether he refers to it the next day or years later.

Often in showery weather it would be impossible to paint, but a sketch can record the changing skies and light effects. "The most incredible effect might only last for a few minutes, but with my pencil and sketchbook, I can capture enough to be able to paint it later. Back in my studio, my sketch will remind me of what really inspired me and, together with my memory and imagination, will give me all I need to complete the painting."

Rex and his wife spend many days walking in the Lake District and Peak District. Some of the more remote subjects found after walking many miles can only be recorded by sketch, as it would be impossible to carry the equipment necessary to paint on location. Most of Rex's larger paintings are done from sketches, as they are too big to paint on location, but he surrounds himself in his studio with his plein-air paintings to help with the colour.

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Rex Preston Solo Exhibition

6 – 28 April 2019

‘Autumn Reflections, River Derwent’ Oil on canvas, framed 61cm x 51cm

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Rex Preston Solo Exhibition

6 – 28 April 2019

His love of the countryside and continuous observation of weather and nature has shaped all of his painting.

‘Autumn Leaves, Chee Dale’ Oil on canvas, framed 76cm x 61cm

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Rex Preston Solo Exhibition

6 – 28 April 2019

‘Early Autumn, Chee Dale’ Oil on canvas, framed 30cm x 30cm

‘White Edge’

Oil on canvas, framed 40cm x 40cm

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Rex Preston Solo Exhibition

6 – 28 April 2019

‘View from Burbage Moor’

Oil on canvas, framed 61cm x 30cm

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Rex Preston Solo Exhibition

6 – 28 April 2019

‘Bluebell Meadow, Curbar Gap’

Oil on canvas, framed 51cm x 40cm

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Rex Preston Solo Exhibition

6 – 28 April 2019

Painting on location ‘‘Windy Day, Buttermere’

‘Windy Day, Buttermere’ Oil on canvas, framed 40cm x 40cm

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Rex Preston Solo Exhibition

6 – 28 April 2019

. “My enthusiasm for painting the Derbyshire landscape has never waned over 50 years. It provides an endless variety of subjects from rugged moorland to tranquil dales, from grit-stone edges to quiet woodland…’

Summer, Burbage Moor Oil on canvas, framed 40cm x 35cm

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Rex Preston Solo Exhibition

6 – 28 April 2019

‘Sunlight and Shadows, Stanage Edge’ Oil on canvas, framed 40cm x 30cm

‘October Colours, Miller’s Dale’ Oil on canvas, framed 50cm x 50cm

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Rex Preston Solo Exhibition

6 – 28 April 2019

‘Sunlit Autumn Trees, Miller's Dale’ Oil on canvas, framed 76cm x 76cm

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Rex Preston Solo Exhibition

‘Misty Morning, Portheras’

Oil on canvas, framed 30cm x 30cm

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6 – 28 April 2019

‘High Tide, Newlyn Harbour’ Oil on canvas, framed 30cm x 30cm

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Rex Preston Solo Exhibition

6 – 28 April 2019

‘Sea Breeze, West Cornwall’

Oil on canvas, framed 61cm x20cm

Rex goes on many painting trips around the country, either finding new areas to paint or revisiting favourite areas like Cornwall…

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Rex Preston Solo Exhibition

‘Clear Spring Afternoon, Trevelgan Hill, Cornwall’ Oil on canvas, framed 40cm x 40cm

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6 – 28 April 2019

‘Hot Summer's Day, Stanage Edge’ Oil on canvas, framed 40cm x 30cm

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Rex Preston Solo Exhibition

6 – 28 April 2019

‘Mayblossom and Bluebells, near Baslow Edge’ Oil on canvas, framed 81cm x 30cm

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Rex Preston Solo Exhibition

6 – 28 April 2019

‘Summer Grasses, Totley Moor’

Oil on canvas, framed 61cm x 20cm

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Rex Preston Solo Exhibition

6 – 28 April 2019

‘Cotton Grass, White Edge Moor

Oil on canvas, framed 91cm x 46cm

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Rex Preston Solo Exhibition

6 – 28 April 2019

‘Still Water, River Wye, Chee Dale’ Oil on canvas, framed 76cm x 76cm

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Rex Preston Solo Exhibition

6 – 28 April 2019

‘Westerly Wind, Baslow Edge’ Oil on canvas, framed 61cm x 61cm

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Rex Preston Solo Exhibition

‘Melting Snow, Stanage Edge’

Oil on canvas, framed 30cm x 30cm

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6 – 28 April 2019

‘Reflections, River Wye, Chee Dale Oil on canvas, framed 30cm x 30cm

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Rex Preston Solo Exhibition

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6 – 28 April 2019

‘Sunlight and Snow Showers, Stanage Edge’ Oil on canvas, framed

91cm x 61cm

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Rex Preston Solo Exhibition

6 – 28 April 2019

‘Mountain Ash on Curbar Edge’ Oil on canvas, framed 61cm x 35cm

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Rex Preston Solo Exhibition

‘Riverside Daffodils, Lake District’

Oil on canvas, framed 35cm x 30cm

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6 – 28 April 2019

‘After the Rain, Stanage Edge’ Oil on canvas, framed 40cm x 40cm

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Rex Preston Solo Exhibition

6 – 28 April 2019

“I spend as much time as possible out in the countryside whatever the weather…I quite often don’t know what I am looking for, but it usually involves colour, light and reflections.”

Although Rex has painted in watercolour and acrylic, he always returns to oil painting as his preferred medium.

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Rex Preston Solo Exhibition We are pleased to be able to offer our customers the Arts Council Own Art scheme. Own Art is a national initiative that makes buying contemporary art and craft affordable by letting you spread the cost of your purchase over 10 months with an interest free loan of up to £2500. The loan can go towards the payment of a piece of art that costs between £100 and £2500 with Own Art .

Making an Own Art application is straightforward and takes about 10 minutes in the gallery or more conveniently it can be carried out online in the privacy of your own home. The loan can be used in full or pat payment for a work of art and no deposit is required.

6 – 28 April 2019 The gallery is open six days a week, from Tuesday until Saturday from 10.00 until 5.00 and on Sundays from 11.00 until 4.00.

For more information about the gallery, exhibitions and artists news, sign up to our mailing list at www.gallerytop.co.uk If you would like more information about any of the paintings in this catalogue, please call us on 01629 735580 or e-mail us at info@gallerytop.co.uk All the paintings, with dimensions, price and additional images are on our website at www.gallerytop.co.uk

gallerytop, Chatsworth Road, Rowsley, Matlock, DE4 2EH 01629 735580 info@gallerytop.co.uk

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