Home » Artists » Mike Bernard
Mike Bernard
Born 1957 Dover Kent England.
TRAINING
1974 – 75 Foundation Medway College of Art and Design.
1975 – 78 BA Hons in Fine Art West Surrey College of Art and Design.
1978 – 81 MA Painting Royal Academy Schools, London.
Year 1997 Elected to the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours.
TEACHING
1980 – 1999 Farnham Adult Education Institute.
1980 – 1984 South Hill Park Arts Centre, Bracknell.
Year 1981 West Surrey College of Art and Design.
Year 1981 Treloar College, Alton.
1981 – 1996 Southampton Institute of Higher Education.
1983 – 2000 Private Painting Courses.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS FROM YEAR 2000
Year 1999 John Blockley Gallery, Stow on the Wold.
Year 2000 Brian Sinfield Gallery, Burford.
2001
Year 2002 David Curzon Gallery, Wimbledon.
2004
Year 2004 Marine House at Beer, Devon.
2005
2007
2008
Year 2003 Broadway Modern, Broadway.
2005
2007
Year 2006 Walker Gallery, Harrogate.
Year 2007 Linda Blackstone Gallery, Pinner.
Year 2007 Rowley Contemporary Art , Winchester.
Year 2008 Oakham Gallery, St James, London.
Year 2009 Panter & Hall Mayfair
NUMEROUS GROUP EXHIBITIONS INCLUDING…
R I Annual Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London.
Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, London.
AWARDS
Elizabeth Greenshields Fellowship 1981 and 1987 (Royal Academy)
David Murray Studentship 1978/80/81 (Royal Academy)
1ST Prize Stowells Trophy 1981 (Royal Academy)
British Institute Prize (Royal Academy)
Lanseer Prize (Royal Academy)
Highly Commended Award 1990 Silver Longboat Exhibition, Portsmouth City Art Gallery.
Laing Landscape Painting Award 1993
R. I. Exhibition Mall Galleries London
Kingsmead Gallery Award 1999
Stuart Defries Award 2003
Lincoln Joyce Gallery Award 2007
The Ranelagh Press Award RI 2009
PUBLICATIONS
Artist Magazine
International Artist
Leisure Painter
Included in numerous books and articles
Commissions accepted.
Michael Bernard RI
Nutcombe Farm
Nutcombe Hill
Combe Martin
Devon
EX34 0PQ
Tel 01271 883103
METHOD OF WORKING
My initial starting point is to collect on the spot sketches, subjects will vary from harbour coastal scenes to street and market scenes and occasional still lifes. I am selective when describing detail, I want to portray only the essence of the subject.
Back in the studio I start my paintings, (surfaces can include, paper, board and canvas), with layers of paper collage, newspapers, tissue, leaflets, magazines etc, glueing with acrylic medium.
I create shapes which relate to the abstract structure of the subject. When the glue is dry, I apply acrylic ink in bold random strokes which encourages wonderful colour and textural ‘happy accidents’. From this state of chaos I endeavour to definite the subject through various drawing techniques, to a finished stage where the subject has recognizable passages, but at the same time retain a semi- abstract, impressionistic feel, engaging the viewers imagination.
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I now paint almost exclusively in mixed media, combining collage, acrylics and pastel. I enjoy the way textures, shapes, colour and ‘happy accidents’ steer the direction of my paintings. My favourite subjects continue to be harbour scenes, market and street scenes both in Britain and abroad.
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