Artist of the Month - James Bartholomew

Lancashire artist James Bartholomew took to his bike to capture the Lakeland scenes for his latest exhibition

James Bartholomew is inspired by the coastline, regularly travelling around the UK to paint its shoreline. He has also completed considerable bodies of work in France, Tuscany, Venice and New York.

However, he also loves the Lake District and this is the subject of his latest exhibition at the Mill House Galley in Parbold.

‘The Lakes are a very special place to me and, throughout my life, I have spent a lot of time there walking, biking and holidaying,’ says James, whose seascapes and landscapes in watercolour and pastel have collected several notable awards.

‘However, it has taken until now to produce a body of work based exclusively on the subject. It has been a real pleasure to create and is formed from both recent studies and in some cases, from sketches made several years ago. Subjects range from low level lakeside views to mountain-top storms and, of course, a few Lakeland sheep!’

James has used his bike to get around. ‘The ground covered in a day is incomparable to being on foot. When the sun dips down and I’m suddenly left in a totally shaded valley, I can quickly move to where things are more interesting.

‘I can explore much wider areas on a mountain bike, sometimes returning later when the light has changed.

‘In terms of miles covered, this exhibition must be right up there in the rankings!’

* James is a member of the Royal Society of Marine Artists (RSMA) and The Manchester Academy of Fine Art (MAFA). His pictures mostly range in price from £1,000 to £1,500. To find out more go to www.jamesbartholomew.co.uk