Ray Green, Artist and Writer

Wild places Artist, Kendal Cumbria

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My early development as an artist

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In exploring my development as an artist, I have been discerning if there have been a series of ‘touchstone experiences’, which fired my development, or whether particular seeds planted early on have gone on ‘growing me’ as an artist?

The school I attended in the 50s provided a very balanced all round education where every skill, subject, was of equal value and explicitly aimed to maximise the development of rounded human beings. So, art, literature, music, sport, sciences, humanities etc were taught in this way. I also had two very good art teachers, who provided the grounding in the technical skills of drawing and painting, but also saw and heard my love and passion for painting. They helped me push my boundaries by getting me and the other art students to paint the stage set scenery for 3 years of operas and plays.

The powerful seeds planted by the school were that no person should be defined only by his career. To be and become who you truly are you need to embrace continually through your life a shed load of disciplines and interests. My on-going disciplines and interests, like wild-place skills, writing, canoeing, have powerfully enhanced my development as an artist. One of the mantras my art teacher taught me was to always carry a sketch book with me; and the linked mantra that you may have to stop painting because of a demanding career, and family commitments; but never stop sketching!

I think I have answered my opening question, that these particular and powerful early planted seeds have gone on helping my development as an artist in the 60s and onwards!

The 60s: In addition to the above ‘seeds’, which went on growing in the 60s, I went through some ‘dark times’. But my sketching and painting allowed me to contact and express my hurt, which was very healing.

The 70s: At this time I was very influenced by the work of Graham Sutherland, along with the Expressionists. The ‘Ways’ I first saw in his work, symbolised and became a metaphor for my own on-going development as an artist and human being. I slowly learned over the following decades, and strongly reinforced in the 00s, to change colours and use texture and composition to express powerful energies and feelings.

The 80s: I sketched and painted varied subjects in this decade because of family holidays to varied locations. But my on-going development as ever was symbolised by my emotional connection to all these locations and my need to express what I was experiencing.

The 90s: My development was still underpinned by my need to have ‘adventure journeys’ which fed and nurtured me. Painting and sketching helped me in my on-going ‘quest’:- The quest to live and feel and be ‘at depth’; but this also enabled me to live a non-painting life at ‘relational depth’, always taking risk to change and grow and go on developing as an artist and human being.

The gallery below shows paintings from the different decades of my development as an artist. Click on filter tabs to view works by the decade.

  • All
  • 1950-
  • 1960-
  • 1970-
  • 1980-
  • 1990-
1. Brought to his knees

1. Brought to his knees

1960-
2. Self-portrait 1

2. Self-portrait 1

1960-
3. Self-portrait 2

3. Self-portrait 2

1960-
4. Self-portrait 3

4. Self-portrait 3

1960-
5. He turned away sorrowful

5. He turned away sorrowful

1960-
6. Bomb damaged Southampton

6. Bomb damaged Southampton

1950-
7. End of the road

7. End of the road

1950-
8. Desolation

8. Desolation

1960-
9. Alienation

9. Alienation

1960-
10. Phoenix in reverse

10. Phoenix in reverse

1960-
11. Despair

11. Despair

1960-
12. Country road

12. Country road

1970-
13. Way through the wood 1

13. Way through the wood 1

1970-
14. Way through the wood 2

14. Way through the wood 2

1970-
15. The end

15. The end

1970-
16. Wild red landscape

16. Wild red landscape

1970-
17. The way from the beach

17. The way from the beach

1970-
18. Dancing sea-thorn

18. Dancing sea-thorn

1970-
19. Way through the wood 3

19. Way through the wood 3

1970-
20. Hampshire Downs way

20. Hampshire Downs way

1970-
21. Country Church near Southampton

21. Country Church near Southampton

1970-
22. Greek fishing boat

22. Greek fishing boat

1980-
23. Greek fishing boat 2

23. Greek fishing boat 2

1980-
24. Wild Torridon cliffs

24. Wild Torridon cliffs

1980-
25. Haweswater track

25. Haweswater track

1980-
26. View from a Bothy

26. View from a Bothy

1980-
27. Greek island house with boat

27. Greek island house with boat

1980-
28. View from my tent

28. View from my tent

1980-
29. Wild Scottish landscape

29. Wild Scottish landscape

1980-
30. Old tree

30. Old tree

1980-
31. Old Torridon rocks

31. Old Torridon rocks

1980-
32. Dorset cliff

32. Dorset cliff

1980-
33. Tree on Scout Scar

33. Tree on Scout Scar

1980-
34. Old tree on Scout Scar

34. Old tree on Scout Scar

1980-
35. New Forest heath

35. New Forest heath

1980-
36. Old walls Scout Scar

36. Old walls Scout Scar

1980-
37. Old silver birch

37. Old silver birch

1990-
38. Scottish lighthouse

38. Scottish lighthouse

1990-
39. Into the hot wood

39. Into the hot wood

1990-
40. Wild Dorset cliffs

40. Wild Dorset cliffs

1990-
41. Arran landscape

41. Arran landscape

1990-
42. Old rocks Scout Scar

42. Old rocks Scout Scar

1990-
43. Old wood way

43. Old wood way

1990-
44. Mull landscape

44. Mull landscape

1990-
45. Scottish island sea view

45. Scottish island sea view

1990-
46. Ben Alder

46. Ben Alder

1990-
47. Greek island view

47. Greek island view

1990-
48. Tuscany landscape

48. Tuscany landscape

1990-
49. Bonny in the light

49. Bonny in the light

1990-
50. Village in Majorca

50. Village in Majorca

1990-
51. Sunflowers in France

51. Sunflowers in France

1990-
52. Sketch from the Bothy 1

52. Sketch from the Bothy 1

1990-
52. Sketch from the Bothy 2

52. Sketch from the Bothy 2

1990-
53. Old tree in landscape

53. Old tree in landscape

1990-
54. Scottish sea view

54. Scottish sea view

1990-
55. Wild moorland

55. Wild moorland

1990-
56. Track through wood on Scout Scar

56. Track through wood on Scout Scar

1990-
57. French estuary view

57. French estuary view

1990-
58. Wild Yorkshire landscape

58. Wild Yorkshire landscape

1990-
59. Blue house, Greek island

59. Blue house, Greek island

1990-
60. Taverna table

60. Taverna table

1990-

View Gallery of my recent work here.

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