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| Welcome to my website
I
am an artist and naturalist. I am
originally from Wales but have lived in Scotland since 1986. Since childhood I have spent much of my time
exploring places and landscapes and the nature and other things found within them, and recording my findings by various means including artwork. After completing a Fine Art degree in 1980 my
natural history interest took me into ecological work, firstly on birds and
then on plants. My work as a botanist has a scientific element but does not diminish my aesthetic
appreciation of the world around me. This website shows recent drawings of mine - I hope you like them. |
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Most of my drawings are landscapes of some sort. I identify with the wider world more by landscapes and physical environments than by human affairs. I like the way these objects and environments just exist innocently with no concepts of cleverness, self-worth, right, wrong, good or bad. Despite
their non-human ‘other-ness’, I am of course aware that they can lead us to
reflect on human matters. For example our own significance can seem small when we are faced with the immensity of nature. The visual qualities of ancient trees,
rotting logs, autumn colours and dead grass stems remind us that old age and
death can be beautiful. We see
coexistence of life and death in mosses, liverworts and fungi growing in
specialized microhabitats on dead wood. In the important role of fungi in the
environment, we see death recycled into life. We cannot help thinking in some way about other people's lives when we experience an urban environment, even if this is a deserted street.
Since 2010 I have concentrated on drawing trees, especially those in winter
woodland settings. There are many things
about woodland in winter which interest me and which I try to convey in my
drawings: the atmosphere of innocent quietness and stillness in subtle muted
colours, the sculptural forms of the trees and the delicate patterns of their
branches and twigs, the impressive scale of large old trunks, the feeling of
depth and space as you look through woodland, the soft sunlight filtering through
the trees, the colours and textures of decayed ground vegetation and fallen
leaves, and the glowing brightness of mosses.
I am currently also doing drawings of hills and, very differently, urban
scenes showing places that are not widely recognized for visual interest but
which appeal to me because of their humble unpretentiousness and the
straightforward, uncluttered or unadorned forms of their buildings and other structures.
There
are some links between my art and botanical work: they share some subject
Prints or cards are available of any of the images shown here, at the following prices (including postage & packing):
Prints
Mounted A3 (30 x 42 cm) print: £50 each
Mounted A4 (21 x 30 cm) print: £35 each
Mounted A5 (15 x 21 cm) print: £25 each
Note: prints can be smaller than originals (i.e. an A4 or A5 print of an A3 original, or an A5 print of an
A4 original) if desired.
Cards (folded to 10.4 x 15 cm, with envelope and protective transparent plastic packaging):
£1.80 each if ordering up to four cards
£1.60 each if ordering five or more cards
To place an order for prints or cards please send an email or telephone me on 01620 870 280 or 07767 058 322.
Originals can be purchased too (except those marked as 'sold' or 'not for sale') or specially commissioned (for example a drawing of a favourite tree or hill). To
discuss the purchase or
commissioning of an original or to arrange to come and view originals
here in East Lothian, please email or phone me as above.
Copyright
note: all images shown on this website are © Ben Averis and may not be used in
any way without my written permission. |
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