chris hankey

"These paintings are a selection of works about the coastal walk from Porthgwarra to Land’s End – the first leg of my project to explore and paint the whole coastline of the uk. When i am drawn to a particular place, i will stay there, rough camping, with whatever materials i need.

I am fascinated by how the weather can change rapidly and so the paintings often go through many changes, from sunshine, through fog, to raging storms and back again. the texture that builds up over this process reflects these changes and so the painting becomes more than a rendering of a particular view at a particular time. although working in a particular spot, i will often move about, scrambling over rocks down to a cove, and so the paintings become an expression of that experience of exploration, rather than a reproduction of any particular view.

I will finish the work in my studio where i can sit in quiet contemplation so that the memory of the experience also affects the outcome of the painting."

chris was born in Lancaster in 1963 and achieved ba (hons) fine art: painting, at Wolverhampton Polytechnic; MA Fine Art at the University of Wales, Cardiff. He was subsequently awarded with a ten-month scholarship at the academy of fine arts Krakow, Poland.

Chris taught art at Bristol for a number of years until demand for his artwork meant giving up full-time teaching in order to paint professionally in 2000. ?

From 2002 – 2005, his work has been exhibited internationally, including: Miami, New York, Dublin and Melbourne. Chris also finds the time to lecture at both BA and MA level.

His work makes up part of many private collections worldwide and is included in the corporate collections of Glaxo Smith Kline, and William Reed Services.