Simon Palmer Painting the Yorkshire Countryside Part 1

Welcome to Monday and another busy week ahead. We begin today with the first of another two-part post to celebrate the inspiring leafy watercolours of Simon Palmer.

Simon Palmer was born in Yorkshire in 1956, and graduated from art school in 1977. He has exhibited extensively since 1980, and held ten one-man exhibitions in London with JHW Fine Art. For me his work has flavours of James McIntosh Patrick, Paul Nash, Eric Ravilious, Samuel Palmer, Stanley Spencer and even a tiny sprinkling of Beryl Cook !

” I fell in love with North Yorkshire during a visit to the county in my teens, says Palmer. On leaving art school I moved as soon as possible to live in the county and it has become my spiritual home ”

Simon’s love of the countryside surrounding his home in Ellingstring in Wensleydale is the dominant theme running throughout his work.

His paintings depict the rural setting, with a quirky and witty take on the Yorkshire Dales. It’s not entirely clear what period his work depicts, but from the clothing his wandering visitors wear, I’d say between 1930 and 1940. Perhaps a quieter time in a simpler world.

The result is a unique interpretation of the landscape or even just a trip around the local village.

“Expression of my deep love for the Yorkshire landscape is portrayed in my pictures”

Simon’s work often leads the viewer deeper into his paintings.

Pathways and people are both familiar themes.

A book, The Art of Simon Palmer was published in 2011.

His exhibitions have been widely reviewed, and previous catalogues have included essays by Alan Bennett, Martin Drury, Tom Flynn, Iain Gale, Lynne Green, Ronald Maddox, Elspeth Moncrieff and Jane Sellars. He has written and illustrated three books, including Pebbles on a Beach. His work is often reproduced as book and magazine covers, or used in calendars, brochures and programmes.

Palmer’s work is held in many private collections in Europe, America, Australia and Japan. Salt’s Mill at Saltaire holds a large collection of his work; other collections include the National Trust, the Council for the Protection of Rural England, Mercer Art Gallery and the Penn Club, London.

Check back in next week for Part 2 of Simon’s post.