Colin HERBERT (1937 - 98)

NUDE IN PINK

Gouache

Colin Herbert was born in Bristol, and lived there most of his life. After leaving school, he did two years National Service, got married and had his first child, and was therefore unable to realise his ambition of attending Art College. His art remained a spare time activity for many years, his work being in printing and advertising.

In the mid-'70's, he decided to train as an art teacher, gaining his certificate in 1975, and taught in various Bristol schools. He gave up full-time teaching in the late '80fs to concentrate on his career as an artist.

Herbert regarded himself first & foremost as a drawer and painter of portraits and the human figure, having attended figure-drawing classes at the RWA since his teens. He came to landscape painting relatively late in his career but, particularly during the '80's and '90's he produced a series of oils depicting scenes in and around Bristol, testimony to his great love of the city and its environs.

His taste in art was eclectic, embracing many ages, schools and artists, but his favourites were without doubt the Post-Impressionists, especially Van Gogh, whose influence can be seen in many of his paintings. Just before his death in October 1998, while being treated for cancer, he had talked about medieval art and his desire to paint in that style.

A retrospective was held at the Royal West of England Academy in September 1999.

23" x 26" /59 cm x 66 cm

Ref. no. MB MG 579