Simon Wilcox is based in Howden, East Yorkshire and originates from the chalk downlands of the Berkshire / Oxfordshire border. He has never been able to sit still except at a drawing board.

“Like many artists I’m inevitably drawn to the sweep of big skies, the shore, storms, hills and mountains – the places that make us feel insignificant in the eye of nature. But, in my heart the landscape is made from the unnoticed details – the commonplace, the ordinary and the overlooked. The forms, colours, and intricate structures of the tangle of hedgerow, copse or dyke edge have an almost obsessional lure for me. And, I must admit I have a quite peculiar thing for trees without leaves. Trying to capture some of my unfashionably detailed view of the world is my tiny rebellion against the unrelenting nonsense of modern living.

My landscapes and the trees are all real – places that people pass and often never notice. My work can be deceptive. It may look photographic, the composition a little stark, the colours a little too muted and without movement. It’s all constructed that way and is completely intentional. I have stripped the scene of all unnecessary elements and distractions – what remains is my interpretation of what makes the ordinary extraordinary.

I’m often asked why I mostly paint winter trees and landscapes – put simply it’s because they show the underlying structure of the world around us – complexity in the raw – a face without make-up or artifice – something elemental that should be recorded and shared.  My main medium is ink, with some watercolour and airbrush – and my photography provides me with studies, details, and reference materials that I use while working on a piece.  There’s a jeopardy in working on white artboard with indelible inks and traditional dip pens. It requires precision and has little room for mistakes or correction. With some drawings requiring days of effort – a single error or lapse in concentration can destroy (and often has) a piece in seconds.  I quite like the discipline of my work – to be honest I think I’m just an old-fashioned draughtsman at heart.”

Please note: the studio will be closed to the public 2.00pm-3.00pm Tuesday and all day Wednesday.