Gareth Thomas (d. 2019)

Born in Swansea in 1955. Attended Trinity College Carmarthen before becoming a professional artist in 1981. Being bought up by the sea and encouraged to paint outdoors from an early age gave Gareth a real grounding in evoking a sense of place. Initially he worked only in Wales, subsequent travels to Italy and France brought an interpretive use of paint, the colours and tone used for greater visual effect. Gareth’s interest always lay with the spirit of the scene, not just a literal copy. With experience comes a better understanding of technique and freedom of expression sometimes missing in earlier days. Most of the painting was carried out in situ, although larger pieces were produced in the studio with the use of sketches and colour notes made outdoors and, rarely, photographs. Gareth had many one man shows over the last three decades including regular exhibitions with the Fosse Gallery, Attic Gallery, the Albany Gallery and Fountain Fine Art, and exhibited with galleries throughout Britain including the Thackery Gallery and the Bohun Gallery. His work is in private collections in Britain and overseas. Public collections holding his paintings include The House Of Lords, The National Library of Wales, Lloyds Bank, Dyfed County Council, London Borough of Hackney and the Glyn Vivian Art Gallery in Swansea