Kevin Hughes
Biography
Kevin Michael Hughes was born in Colwyn Bay, North Wales, in 1947. He studied at Reading University from 1966 to 1969 and at the Polytechnic of North London in 1971. He was informally taught painting and printing by Caroline Clough and Anthony Kerr and studied privately with Clough from 1975 to 1978 whilst working as an illustrator of books, magazines and articles.
In 1981 he moved from London to Wiltshire and began painting full-time, primarily working in watercolour and focusing on landscapes, buildings and interiors. He has held solo exhibitions in Hampshire, Bath and London and exhibited in the Sunday Times Singer Friedlander Watercolour Competition and the ING Discerning Eye Exhibition. He won the Pro Arte Prize in 1997 and Benton Humphries Prize in 1999.
Artist Statement
Kevin Hughes RI’s initial inspiration came from observing the landscape and buildings around him. As his work developed, he became increasingly interested in spatial aspects and more influenced by other painters. For Hughes, technique is important, but only as a means to an end.
He usually begins with a sketch, which may develop into a finished drawing with particular attention to composition and form. Often, however, the painting is created directly from a rough sketch and memory. He is particularly interested in the behaviour of paint, how pigments react with one another and with the paper, and the effects created by varying degrees of wetness.
Hughes applies paint in diverse ways, using brushes alongside toothbrushes, sponges, pieces of material and string. He also uses paper templates, spraying or throwing paint with different brushes to create varied effects.