EARTH WOOD AND STONE
AN EXHIBITION OF PAINTINGS BY LOCAL ARTIST
RONNIE HACKSTON
I’m an artist and photographer based in South London. Originally hailing from the North-East of England, I moved to London in the 1980s to study art at the University of Roehampton. After a 30-year career in magazine publishing, in recent years I have returned to painting full-time, and now exhibit my work regularly. I was one of the first artists, together with my late partner Claire, to show my work at the newly-refurbished Woodfield Pavilion, back in 2019. The Woodfield is a wonderful community resource, and as a longtime member I’ve contributed to many group exhibitions over the last four years or so. Over this period we’ve built up an impressive roster of local artists who show their work at the venue.
Not long after the Woodfield opened for business, the pandemic intervened and the world shut down for a while. Walks in the green spaces of South London became part of my daily routine, and I would generally set out armed with sketchbook, pencils and camera. The practice of art, and a curiosity about nature, were a godsend in those troubled times. When the world returned to a semblance of normality, I kept up my drawing and painting practice, and since then I’ve ranged further afield for inspiration, but still return to the likes of Tooting Common, Wimbledon Common and Richmond Park, the natural world on my doorstep. I’ve built up a large body of work over this time, of which I’m pleased to show a small selection here.
Primarily concerned with the English landscape, my work often focuses on distant vistas, hills, forests and the effects of light, weather and time, and is both developed through objective drawing and mediated through memories and imagination. Elements featured vary from Neolithic monuments and natural forms to modern cityscapes, responding to the layers of history in the landscape. I work in a variety of media ranging from acrylics, oils and watercolours to photography and digitally manipulated imagery, with varying degrees of abstraction in my approach to the subject.
My next exhibition, “Earth Wood & Stone” is my first solo show for several years, and runs from 4th to 20th April at the Woodfield Pavilion, and will feature paintings, drawings and photography based around the landscape theme. Opening times: Thursday to Sunday, 11am to 4pm. Private view - Saturday 6th April, 2pm to 6pm.
Website: www.ronniehackston.com
Email: ronnie@ronniehackston.com
Insta: @hackstonr
