About the artist.
Gloria Dean
Gloria’s life began in a small farming community in North Norfolk, England where she enjoyed an idyllic childhood, growing up on her grandparent’s farm. Her interest in art began very early, and as a child she would draw and scribble on anything that came to hand.
Her career as an artist began during the late 1970’s when having declined the restraints of formal training, she opened a small art gallery, representing her own and other 'carefully selected' artist's work. During this time she also held private art classes for both children and adults, and her easy, yet enthusiastic style soon established her a loyal following.
Since then her work has spanned sculpture, book illustration, stage sets, painted finishes for frames and furniture, and the design and restoration of lacquered furniture and Chinoiserie, including work for The Fitzwilliam Museum and The Ashmolean Museum.
Animals feature strongly in her work, including the Iberian horse. Whilst travelling to Portugal to study the Lusitano in his home environment, she pursued her own studies in classical riding, under the tutelage of Lord Henry Loch. Since then she moved to Coimbra, Portugal, and has gone on to produce the dramatic, bold and powerful charcoal studies of Bulls that she has become so well known for.
Demonstrated in these portrayals is her mastery of the art of draughtsmanship which is seen throughout her work, from the large scale dramatic studies of dancers to the relaxed sketches of passers-by.
She has returned to England, and now works from her small home based studio in Norwich, Norfolk, UK.
Always a keen writer she has had articles published in various magazines, and has recently created interest with her own growing collection of children’s books.
Her interests outside of art and writing include: Tai Chi Chuan, Classical Riding, Sailing, and Flying.
Gloria’s work is exhibited throughout Europe and is held in private art collections worldwide.
UK. Century Galleries, Henley –on- Thames (solo show)
Doric Arts Gallery, Holt (gallery artist)
Mistral Gallery, Dover Street, London
Equus Gallery, Newmarket (solo show)
Grove Cottage Art Gallery Banham, Norfolk
The Mall Galleries, London, with:
The Pastel Society &The Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours
The Deane Gallery, Co Cork
The Condon Gallery, Theatre Royal, Norwich (solo show)
Chimney Mill Gallery, Bury St Edmunds
Art in the Park, Croxton, Norfolk
The King of Hearts Centre for the Arts, Norwich (solo show)
Norwich Castle Museum. (Vision and Reality) 2011
Appleyard and Co, Norwich. (solo show) 2013
The T Lounge, Ber Street, Norwich ( solo show) 2013
Royal Norfolk Show 2013/14/15/16/17/18
Norwich Cathedral, Harefest & Christmas 2018
Wymondham Arts Centre, Good Hare Days 2018
Portugal; Gois Arte, 2006 2007
Live Arte,2006
Spain. International Oroso, 2006 2007
New York. Annual Print Exhibition, Arts Centre of the Capital Region, Troy, NY. 2013.
" " " 2014/2015 /2016/ 2017
Artist's statement from the 'Motion from Stillness' exhibition'
I like to draw from life, making lightning sketches to capture the essence, body language, and mood. I use this as the basis of every painting.
Because I am fascinated by the body language of people, and animals, I strive to represent this boldly and as fearlessly as I can: Life encompasses movement, music, bearing, joy, love, passion, compassion, melancholy, it is there to be seen, even in landscapes, and so it has been my intention to capture these qualities as I perceive them in any particular subject.
Growing up on my grandparents farm, I saw that our huge bulls could be lying apparently at ease, still and rooted, then explode into sudden action, the effect was, and still is, so paralysing to me, the onlooker. This quality has always impressed me, and I see similar composure and potential in a great dancer who holds one spellbound.
I find that special, quiet place in my mind before painting each piece, just as the dancer does before a great performance, we both seek a mental stillness and focus before we begin, it is then one can convey a sense of drama and emotion.
In the end my painting is not simply about the dancer or bull, its not the subject alone, but the purity of line, the absence of line, the emergence of form from light and shade, emotion from colour and attitude, and of course…motion from stillness.