al blethyn
art room
Welcome to the website of Al Blethyn
My work falls into six categories; landscape; still life; illustration; abstract; graphics; and skyscapes. The majority is pastels, especially the landscapes and still life. But occasionally I turn to artist inks, gouache and professional markers.
Browse through the gallery.
Everything is for sale. Either as framed originals, or unframed giclee/ high-end prints (where prints are framed, it has been indicated). If you are interested in purchasing any of my work, contact me for more details.
Please enjoy.
galleries
A portfolio of wide ranging themes, styles and media by a highly versatile and skilled artist. From impactful landscapes to intimate still life; from atmospheric skyscapes to imaginative illustration; and from purely abstract to graphics by design.
The majority of work is in pastels but also interspersed with diverse media such as gouache, acrylics, inks and/or markers.
about al
His art varies between landscapes, skyscapes, still life, graphics, abstracts and illustration. It’s as varied as it is because of Al’s professional lifetime in graphics and advertising, where every brief demanded a different visual communication. This approach has spilled over into his painting.
He grew up in post war London. Attended The Harrow Art School, then The London College of Printing before gaining a place in Watford to do Graphics and Typography full-time for three years.
From Watford, he moved swiftly through the ranks, going from Studio Head to Art Director, to Senior Art Director and finally Creative Director with several London and Regional ad agencies. Along the way he married for a second time, two children came along and the Blethyn household was complete.
By 1977 Al was a high flying Creative Director in Cheltenham. Five year later he jumped ship and set up as a freelance advertising/graphic design consultant. ABCreative was born.
This proved to be an ideal working environment for the next 30 years or so, but by 2010 it felt time to bring down the shutters on the consultancy.
Most of the paintings produced up to this point had been in gouache, artist inks, professional markers and occasionally pastels. Now however, pastels gradually became the medium he naturally turned to. Al rediscovered the sheer pleasure of working with these short, stubby chalks. Blending, cross hatching, smudging and building up and adjusting layers of colour were a joy. He could be subtle, controlled or flamboyant as he wished. But although pastels have become a comfortable and hugely satisfying medium for him, he still turns to gouache, acrylics, inks and even markers when the subject matter demands.
He’s had a number of solo and joint exhibitions (called ‘Art Room’). Updates on future exhibitions will be posted here from time to time. Watch this space.
If you like any of the paintings shown here, you can contact me using the form below.
Enjoy
contact
Thank you for viewing my artwork. Please get in touch to find out more.