A Huddersfield artist whose work includes a Royal portrait is having his own exhibition … but for one night only.
Richard Gower’s show will be at Woodsome Hall Golf Club on Woodsome Road, Fenay Bridge, on Friday, August 30.
There will be a preview from 4pm to 6pm and the exhibition featuring around 40 works of art ranging from 10ins by 8ins to 2m by 1m will be on show with many of them for sale. Anyone can attend and Richard will also be accepting commissions on the night too.
Richard famously did a painting depicting the Duke of Edinburgh’s last ever formal engagement in August 2017 when he was 96, meeting Royal Marines at Buckingham Palace who had done a 1,664-mile trek for charity. This was in his role as their Captain General and the painting captures the poignant moment he tipped his bowler hat to them.
Richard wrote to The Queen who accepted the painting, the first time she had ever accepted a painting that had not been commissioned.
Richard also helps charities and did a painting of Huddersfield Town centre-back Christopher Schindler scoring the winning penalty at Wembley to send Town into the Premier League in 2017.
He did a limited edition of 50 which raised thousands of pounds for the Huddersfield Town Foundation, the Leslie Sports Foundation and the Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice.
He has also just offered a prize of a specially commissioned painting in Huddersfield entrepreneur and philanthropist Prof Graham Leslie’s recently published autobiography, Ahead Of The Curve.
All proceeds from the book are going to the charity Making Waves which is the charitable side to the Waves day centre in Slaithwaite and takes members from Huddersfield, Kirklees and across West Yorkshire.
Waves is one of the most innovative day centres in the UK, helping people aged 18 and over with learning and/or physical difficulties to lead full lives with activities including performing arts, baking, making music, arts and crafts, virtual reality games, swimming, walks, horticulture, caring for animals, holidays and sharing what they do on social media.
The charity supports the centre and also provides respite care and overnight breaks when members’ families face a crisis.
Richard is at heart an impressionist in the style of Monet, Renoir and Pissarro but his own series of works, called Reflections, have been likened to a modern-day Lowry.
Richard’s reputation as a British contemporary artist to follow – and collect – is growing, and the prices of his work are rising. Richard is represented by London galleries and takes bespoke commissions.
He said: “I’m quite humbled when I’m asked to do a commission. It’s fascinating to capture a moment in someone’s life.
“That’s usually taken from a photograph and then they choose me to capture that moment, their personality, their life in oils – forever. It’s phenomenal. No disrespect to photographers but a painting has the artist’s heart and soul in it. It’s a feeling as well as an image.”
To have a chance to win the competition simply buy Graham’s book and the competition questions are revealed near the front along with information on how to enter.
The book, priced £10.99, is available in bookshops and online at https://www.gnbooks.co.uk/product/ahead-of-the-curve/
For full competition terms and conditions go to https://ah-pr.com/work/terms-and-conditions-for-chance-to-win-a-great-prize-for-people-who-buy-graham-leslies-autobiography-ahead-of-the-curve
Written by ANDY HIRST who runs his own Yorkshire freelance journalism agency AH! PR (https://ah-pr.com/) specialising in press releases, blogging, website content and copywriting.
