CV

TREVOR WILLIAM HARWOOD

BORN 28TH JUNE 1952

Address – 9 Delta Road, Hutton, Brentwood, Essex CM13 1NG England
Phone: - 01277 218688 - Mobile : - 07908 088121(car) 07960 292212
Email: - harwoodart@talktalk.net, twharwood@ukonline.co.uk

I have been involved in art in one form or another throughout my life. In my early years, this culminated in a Fine Art “A” level at my grammar school – a first for Ilford County High back in 1970. I then entered the City and eventually found myself at Robert Fleming & Co. Ltd. As merchant bankers, I was fortunate in being exposed to what ultimately became the foremost private collection of Scottish Art. Work by some of the great Scottish colourists like Peploe, Fergusson and Blackadder became my close friends. During these years, banking dominated my art, however through the encouragement of my work colleagues the odd commission or two did come my way. My personal favourites however have been Edward Seago, the Norfolk artist and the real founder, in my view, of impressionism, Turner. These two artists I have endeavored to understand and follow, although not always successfully.

Following a period of some 10 years with very little in the way of oils being applied to canvas, I realized I had to force myself to take time out from every day hassle in order to get back to painting, which I missed so much. So I took myself off to evening class at the local Adult Education Centre and found myself being taught by a local artist, Graham Painter. We had admired his watercolors and admitted to having one on our own walls. Going back to basics and doing colour theory was refreshing and brought me initially to the world of watercolour. Then one day, at what I thought was to be a watercolour workshop, I realised pastels were on the agenda. Despite this, I persevered, enjoying the vitality of the pastels, the marks and textures I could create and the colour which seemed to ooze out of them with the slightest of touches. The afternoon saw us with borrowed sets of soft pastels lent by our tutor. That vibrancy of colour seemed to just fly across the paper and I painted with such urgency that my fingers actually hurt and since then there has been no turning back! Exploring local scenes, primarily landscape, I reveled in this new medium.

With this new enthusiasm I then also found the confidence to start to market my work and sell a painting or two. Following some success I then realised members of the public actually appreciated my paintings, and I decided to explore competitions and exhibitions that were advertised in art magazines.

Redundancy from the City as the result of a major takeover eventually proved a blessing in disguise. The severance pay enabled a studio to be built and prompted the idea of developing a hobby into a new career. I have since had the chance to develop my painting and explore the possibilities that this and other media might bring. I am developing a new format tentatively called "fragmentation art", using blocks of pure pastel to build semi abstract and abstract works. Following demonstrations to other artists, this technique seems readily adaptable to oils and acrylics and is leading to a new workshop or two. The studio gives extra hanging space and has proved an ideal venue for aspiring artists to join me in small workshops and one to one tutorials.

With a good deal of hard work and research I have taken to teaching and developed an understanding of differing media and what artists of all ages want. The key for me is to listen and watch! I prefer not to have too much of the hands on, encouraging pupils to interpret my ideas or directions in their own way. Art after all is not a perfect science and I believe should be enjoyed and be a pleasurable experience. Talking to people about their art is never dull, and I feel I have demonstrated patience enough to guide those less advanced than myself. I have been tutoring art groups and other interested parties through workshops and demonstrations of varying length for some while now and this continues to expand. I am keen to explore the possibility of becoming a tutor for an overseas painting holiday group, relishing the thought of sharing my enthusiasm for the unique light and scenery. It is my hope that I can encourage others to explore and tread a path similar to my own and maybe, just maybe, experience that first injection of life and wonder into another aspiring artist. Only time will tell how successful I will be.

Sketching in the mud at Bawdsey Manor 2010

1999

- Essex Wildlife Art Exhibition - by invitation, sold first pastel

- Essex Open Art Exhibition - Beecroft Gallery, Westcliffe-on-Sea, Essex. One painting selected, awarded "best in show" by the public.

- Billericay Rotary Art Exhibition - by invitation

2000

-    Brentwood, Billericay & Basildon Soropotomists Art Exhibition – by invitation, two works sold
-    Essex Wildlife Art Exhibition – by invitation
-    Braintree Open Art Exhibition – sponsored by local council, two works selected for show
-    Patchings 2000 Annual Open Competition & Exhibition – sponsored by “The Artist” and “The Leisure Painter” art magazines. Cool Essex Waters selected as one of 100 for exhibition from 700 paintings. Received David & Charles Award of books to the value of £250
-    Essex Red Cross Open Exhibition, Chelmsford – by invitation, one work sold

2001

-    Brentwood, Billericay & Basildon Soropotomists Art Exhibition – by invitation, one work sold
-    Patchings 2001 Annual Open Competition & Exhibition – sponsored by “The Artist” and “The Leisure Painter” art magazines. Early Spring, Norsey Wood selected as one of 100 for exhibition from 700 paintings
-    Essex Open Art Exhibition – at Beecroft Gallery, Westcliffe on Sea. One painting selected
-    Essex Wildlife Art Exhibition – by invitation
-    Essex Red Cross Open Exhibition, Chelmsford – by invitation, one work sold
-    Billericay Rotary Arts Exhibition - by invitation, one work sold
-    Brentwood Art Society Annual Exhibition at the Beckett Gallery, Brentwood - one work sold

2002

-    Patchings 2002 Annual Open Competition & Exhibition – sponsored by “The Artist” and “The Leisure Painter” art magazines. Poppies Make a Comeback selected as one of 100 for exhibition from 850 paintings plus Autumn Sketch selected as highly commended and both put on web-site for duration of exhibition
-    Brentwood Art Exhibition, St. Thomas of Canterbury – by invitation, two works sold
Essex County Council – Showing Off Essex Artists, Cressing Temple Barns, nr Braintree Essex – art fair by selection - one work sold, one commission obtained

Cambridge river workshop 2010

-    Essex Wildlife Art Exhibition – by invitation
-    Essex Red Cross Open Exhibition, Chelmsford – by invitation, one work sold
-    Billericay Rotary Arts Exhibition - by invitation, one work sold, 5 commissions obtained
-    Doddinghurst Art Society Open Exhibition – by invitation
-    Brentwood Art Society Annual Exhibition at the Beckett Gallery, Brentwood - by invitation

2003

-    Society for All Artists Annual Competition and Exhibition, Artist’s & Illustrators, Design Centre, Islington – Poppies Make a Comeback selected from 3000 entries from 50 countries
-    Permanent one-man show established in Courtyard Restaurant, (click to view current works) Chelmsford, Essex for all Italian paintings

- Artclimbers Art Fair at Dedham, Essex - one work sold and two commission

-    Patchings 2003 Annual Open Competition & Exhibition – sponsored by “The Artist” and “The Leisure Painter” art magazines. Warwickshire Wild Flower Meadow selected as one of 100 for exhibition from 850 paintings and put on web-site for duration of exhibition
-    Brentwood Art Exhibition, St. Thomas of Canterbury – by invitation, two works sold
-    Essex Wildlife Art Exhibition – by invitation
-    Leed Gallery – first main exhibition for new gallery, Writtle College, Essex – by invitation
-    Essex Red Cross Open Exhibition, Chelmsford – by invitation, one work sold

2004

-    Brentwood Art Exhibition, St. Thomas of Canterbury – by invitation,
-    Explosionart Exhibition, The Hermitage, Brentwood Essex – by invitation

- Artclimbers Art Fair at Dedham, Essex
- Essex Wildlife Art Exhibition – by invitation

- Art Dealers Art Fair at Dedham, Essex - by invitation from a group of Chelmsford Art Dealers

- Essex Open Art Exhibition – at Beecroft Gallery, Westcliffe on Sea. One painting selected
- Artshed Gallery, New Milton Hampshire – part of mixed show July/August – result of CV invite as advertised in AN magazine

- Developed material for two pastel workshops in Ilford and Brentwood, Essex. Both oversubscribed and well received

- Beecroft Gallery, Westcliffe on Sea - invited to submit 20 paintings into Christmas show - only one sold but led directly to arranging demonstrations at art clubs in the Southend area

2005

- Demonstrations commenced in earnest - Ongar Art Society, Boreham Art Circle, Roche Art Group and others

- Further workshops at Thorndon Countryside Centre in conjunction with Essex Wildlife - demand currently outstrips supply

- Requested to consider establishing watercolour workshops along similar lines

- Hutton & Shenfield Festival, Essex - Open Art Exhibition via Brentwood Art Society - by invitation

- Brentwood Art Exhibition, St. Thomas of Canterbury - by invitation

- Fund raising Open Art Exhibition for Brentwood Citizens Advice Bureau - by invitation

- Invited by the Essex Art Group to do a full day Pastel workshop

- South Essex Open Art exhibition, Vange, Basildon, Essex. Three paintings selected

- Approached by Art of Course Ltd. to act as one of 20 tutors for their East Anglian operations

2006

- Demonstrations continue at Southend-on-Sea, Ilford and other areas in Essex

- Applied for and accepted to become a promoter for the Society of All Artists

- Workshops at Thorndon in watercolour and pastel and other medias continue

- Completed workshop for Art of Course Ltd. in northern Essex business now ceased in favour of an art shop in St. Albans

- Weekend residential workshop established with Bawdsey Manor, near Felixstow, Suffolk/Essex border

- Requested and accepted role as tutor to the Doddinghurst Art Society

- Exhibition in Chelmsford shopping centre - "The Meadows" with Leed Art, also demonstrated to shoppers to much acclaim

- Invited by Southend-on-Sea Art Group to do full day all media workshop and another pastel demonstration

- Invited by Boreham Art Circle to do a half day workshop titled - "Hot & Cold"

- Sadly the small outlet at a dentist's surgery and the larger at the Courtyard Restaurant both ceased

- Following a good deal of correspondence, I will also be tutoring for Bella Sardinia in the Autumn of 2007

- Ford Motor Company at Duncton Research Centre contacted me and have asked for some demonstrations and workshops

- Return visit to Hylands School requested and warmly received

- One-man exhibition in Southend on Sea to help raise funds for Relate

2007

- Requested and accepted tutoring art groups at Hatfield Peveril, and two in Danbury, Essex

- Art holiday completed successfully in Sardinia, planning for a return in 2008

- Brentwood Art Exhibition, St. Thomas of Canterbury – by invitation, sold 5 paintings
- Italian paintings now in a new restaurant in Maldon - La Chimneire, owned by old friend Mauritzio

- Invited again by Southend-on-Sea Art Group to do full day all media workshop

- Invited to Billericay Art Club to do a demonstration

- Returned to Southend-on-Sea and Boreham for demonstrations and workshops

- Planning details of a painting holiday in Denia in Spain following research in the autumn

- Agreed to run a workshop for Marsh Farm, run by Essex County Council

- Planning 2 residential workshops at Bawdsey Manor in Suffolk after autumn success

- Demonstrations now extended to Bishops Stortford (Herts) and Orpington (Kent)

- All four workshops at Thorndon well attended following good advertising and introducing discount scheme

2008

- Researched and visited near Bodrum, Turkey for an art holiday there

- Invited to Southminster Art Group for a demonstration and then two workshops

- Marsh Farm workshops so successful additional dates made to accommodate all students

- Approached Hylands House for workshops following input from a student

- Invited to Royal Tunbridge Wells, Elmwood and Burnham on Crouch Art Clubs for demonstrations

- Returned to Southend-on-Sea and Boreham for demonstrations

- Tutoring of Doddinghurst Art Group ceased

- Researching possibility of art holidays in south west France and Tuscany for 2009 following approaches via SAA

2009

- Art holiday in Manzac, south west France completed successfully despite reduced numbers

- Became treasurer to Brentwood Art Society

- Became a director for the Foundation of Essex Arts (replaces the Essex Gallery)

- Bawdsey Manor residential workshops successful

- Applied for and was successful in becoming a member of the Guild of Essex Craftsman, invited to exhibit with them at Ingatestone Hall

- Further workshops at Cambridge, Danbury, Essex Art and Southminster Art Groups

- Demonstrations at Cranham, Ilford, Elmwood Art Groups

- First Day workshop at Hylands house

2010

- Art holiday in north west Italy with Villatalla - fully booked and the week went well, gorgeous weather and art!

- First day workshop for Thames Chase at Upminster, Essex

- Bawdsey Manor weekend workshops continue successfully

- First Art holiday with "Art in the Algarve" at Olhao, near Faro, southern Portugal

- Workshops for Hylands House, Griffin Art Group, Epping Art Group, Cambridge and West Horndon

- Demonstrations at Knockholt, Brush and Pallette at Eastwood, Southend on Sea, Tunbride Wells, Hockley, Ilford and Redbridge