Richard Thorn R.I (SWAc)

Contemporary Landscape Watercolour Paintings

Why add a Richard Thorn to your collection?

Richard is an internationally-renowned, award-winning landscape artist, whose paintings grace the homes of many collectors. His beautiful land and seascapes capture the atmosphere of the environments; the serenity of a woodland stream, or the exhilarating rush of a coastal breeze. Richard’s masterful handling of shadow and colour has gained him coveted membership of the Royal Institute (Painters ofWatercolour) as well as the South West Academy of arts. Awards include best watercolour at the Royal Institute and the  award of excellence at the Qingdao International Watercolour Exhibition in 2019. His landscapes are utterly timeless, and offer an enchanting tranquility to modern and traditional interiors alike.

About Richard’s Work 

Richard’s landscapes and seascapes are medium sized works, typically between 50cm and 70cm in width when framed, and are bursting with detail. His serene paintings predominantly draw upon the coasts and landscapes around Cornwall and Devon, for their rich blue seascapes and uninterrupted flourishing meadows and hills. These beautiful locations are especially popular amongst collectors seeking to commemorate a special trip or memory associated with these places. Richard also works with scenes from London, French resorts, and destinations in the Mediterranean, treating each and every one with the same meticulous attention to light and colour. 

Richard predominantly works in watercolour but will incorporate other mediums into his paintings, including inks, acrylic, gouache, and pastels, to enhance the textural elements of his artworks. Working with a range of mediums has also broadened the artist’s appreciation of both colours and dynamics, and he masterfully handles the paint to create rich tone and depth within his scenes. 

Styling Ideas

Richard’s landscapes take a traditional subject and create a timelessness within his scenes that is complementary to a range of interiors. His paintings nestle comfortably into existing collections of traditional artworks, whilst the artist’s modern use of bright and bold colour brings a welcome contemporary twist to his scenes. Richard’s masterful handling of shade and colour creates an almost photographic tonality that distinguishes his scenes from most traditional landscape paintings. His detailed scenes command attention, and are particularly suited for display in prominent and eye-catching areas in home interiors, including above accent tables, over mantelpieces, and on feature walls for a modern feel. 

About The Artist

From a young age, Richard displayed a keen interest in sketching and drawing. He enrolled in the Newton Abbot School of Art, and his art career took off with a number of high-profile collectors displaying an interest in his work. At a Devon County Show, The Torbay Art Society presented Prince Michael of Kent with one of Richard’s paintings, after taking a liking to the artist’s work. Later, Richard was invited to exhibit his paintings at the Portuguese Embassy in London, where the Portuguese Ambassador purchased one of his artworks. Richard has since exhibited in numerous one-man shows and group exhibitions across the South of England, and his work can be seen in numerous galleries from Cornwall to Kent.