Simon Ashby

Simon began painting in 2002 and found he was drawn to painting outside on location, a genre known as plein air. His preferred medium has tended to be acrylics; though I have lately returned to the use of oils and watercolours. The immediacy of working in-situ gives the artist an ability to capture those fleeting moments of light, be it a transient cloud or a shaft of sunlight, things hard to replicate in a studio environment.

He works within a two-hour time frame to try and commit to canvas a scene that changes constantly with the weather. The moving light and shadow is a real challenge but worth it - the final result offers a really loose and interesting picture.

Though his base in Devon provides a great deal of inspiration, he loves travelling to paint. France in particular has provided a great range of scenery that pushes him to keep developing his painting technique and scope.

Simon is a Member of the South West Academy.

View paintings by Simon Ashby