Leading British contemporary figurative watercolourist

Gordon was born on 6 June 1939 in London – England. He spent most of his early childhood on the Fife coast of Scotland before moving south of the border to Reading in Berkshire. As a child, his talent came to the fore early on, winning several major art competitions from seven. After leaving school, he concentrated on figurative illustration, undergoing training at Carlton Studios in London whilst studying life drawing and painting at Reading University.

In his early 20s, he freelanced, illustrating for major magazines and advertising agencies. Gradually he built up the commission side of his work by painting portraits and exhibiting his work until, in the mid-’70s, he gave up illustration work altogether to enable him to concentrate full-time on his paintings, which were predominantly in oils. Success came quite rapidly, showing at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibitions in London and later at the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours, painting mostly figurative subjects. His paintings of girls in natural surroundings soon became his trademark. The popularity of watercolours in the early 80s, with the success of his prints, limited editions, and silk-screen, brought him the high profile he has today. Gordon is happily married to Mary and works in his studio in Buckinghamshire, providing the backdrop for many of his paintings. He exhibits worldwide and has been featured artwork live on several television programmes, including the BBC2 art series “Close-up”, Channel 5’s “Open House”, and Sky sports at the P.G.A. short-course championships. He’s actively involved in charitable work, having supported various charities, including a project for the “Save the Children Fund” painting in front of a live audience for the B.B.C.’s “Children in Need” appeal, completing a portrait of Norman Wisdom on the Black Watch Cruise Ship in aid of the R.N.L.I. He recently donated a golf painting at Brocket Hall that was an auction for Bob Wilson’s Willow Foundation.

In 1999, Gordon celebrated his 60th birthday, and he received another one of his prestigious awards from the Fine Art Trade Guild, which voted him “Published Artist of the Year. He also had a painting accepted into the Singer & Friedlander Sunday Times watercolour competition, exhibited in London, and later toured the country.

Geniuses of the Past

Gordon has been regarded as one of the leading contemporary figurative watercolourists in the UK for the last thirty-four years. National and international art lovers and collectors have admired and collected his paintings. Gordon works exclusively with limited galleries throughout the UK to exhibit his original paintings and satisfy the increasing demand from many UK and International collectors. ” Fashion in ART has become a roller-coaster of buzz words which are cliché ridden and confusing, where the emphasis seems to be on innovation for the sake of innovation. Gone are the days of an artist spending years of apprenticeship mastering craft and skills. The true geniuses of the past – REMBRANDT, VELASQUEZ, LEONARDO – were all innovators in their time who moved the ART world forward but still practised their obvious talent for drawing and painting. The prospect of more exhibitions, more travel, more images are exciting as I feel ever more drawn to life as a new canvas awaits ” Gordon King.

He specializes in figurative work, portraiture and sporting subjects. We welcome enquiries for special commissions. For all private or corporate commissions by our gallery artists, please contact
Sunil Vilas, Call us

ICAS Vilas Art Gallery

21 Commerce Way
Garden Square Shopping Centre,

Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire SG6 3DN

United Kingdom (UK)

Phone: 01462677455
Email: info@vilasart.co.uk
URL: https://www.vilasart.co.uk/

VIDEOS & Publications

My Sculptures have allowed me to meet members of The Royal Family, which has always been an exciting and enjoyable experience.

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