Richard Bavin is a landscape painter with a passion for our native trees and woodland. His practice is a cycle of outdoor exploration and studio work as a distillation of these experiences, most paintings being created out of long term projects about specific locations.
He loves the hours and days sitting quietly with trees, and spends as much time watching weather, light and wildlife as he does sketching. Richard’s visual language is a mix of traditional representations and more experimental marks and colours to try and communicate the sounds, smells and feel of these places alongside his deep emotional connection with them.
Richard studied Fine Art at Hereford College of Art and Gloucestershire University and has a studio at Unit 6 in Hereford. He is an invited member of The Arborealists, a national group of artists united around the tree motif. Site specific collaborations with this group include Exmoor and Dartmoor National Parks and Lady Park Wood in the Wye Valley with woodland ecologist George Peterken MBE. There are links to a professional film and book about this project on Richard’s web site.
Artist-in-residence with Herefordshire Wildlife Trust for five years, much of Richard’s paintings are about their reserves. He is currently focusing on Birches Farm, 60 acres of unimproved meadows and ancient hedgerows. In partnership with the Apple Store Gallery, he has invited twelve artists and poets to produce work for shows and events around National Meadows Day 2020 and 2021. A book of poetry including haikus and cover design by Richard has been gifted to all secondary and special schools in Herefordshire.
website: richardbavin.com
Insta: @richardtreeart
North Wood SSSI, Herefordshire Wildlife Trust reserve
Lady Park Wood, Wye Valley (National Nature Reserve)
Birches Farm SSSI, Herefordshire Wildlife Trust reserve
North Wood SSSI, Herefordshire Wildlife Trust reserve