James Bland

'I paint from life and memory. Both approaches are full of mystery, which is the key thing. For me, a painting should work on several levels; as abstraction, as a means of connecting to life, and as an investigation into the mysteries of perception, emotion, and memory.’

Originally from Grimsby, James took degrees in Fine Art from Canterbury Christchurch University. He is a member of the New English Art Club and Contemporary British Portrait Painters. Between 2018 and 2019 he was one of the artists featured in Disrupted Realism, the exhibition and book series by US-based curator and writer John Seed. He is the author of Portrait Painting: Abstraction, Storytelling and Mood, which is published by The Crowood Press.

Membership of Societies:

New English Art Club (from 2014)

Contemporary British Portrait Painters (from 2019)

Awards:

2015 winner, Doreen McIntosh Prize

2014 runner-up, Visitor's Choice Award, Threadneedle Prize

2013 1st Prize winner, Winsor&Newton Oil Painters Award

2007 winner, Janet Konstam Travel Award

2007 winner, Artist Residency, Centro Verrocchio, Tuscany