2010 marks the 8th solo exhibition for Andrew Tozer at Beside The Wave Gallery. We are delighted to be showing the latest collection of work from this remarkable and highly regarded artist.

Andrew is well known for his stunning paintings of the Cornish landscape. The theme for this show focuses largely on the ever changing character of the stretches of water in and around Falmouth. Taking in Falmouth Bay, Penryn river and Falmouth Harbour, his approach has been the repeated study of these places in different weather conditions, seasons and times of day in order to explore just how dramatically these factors can affect the landscape and to try and encapsulate the whole essence of a place.

The relationship we have with our environment inevitably shapes us as people but equally we impose our own ideas upon the world around us. The discourse between artist and landscape is even more complex and intense. The artist is always a presence in the painting as the spectator whose response to his environment is captured on the canvas.

How we see defines who we are and it is this concentration on repeated looking and then seeing that Andrew adheres to. Citing Gorgio Morandi as an inspiration, he values rigourous observation and translation over paint effects and 'mannerism'.

Self imposed limitations lead to Andrew sometimes excluding all but the most essential elements of a place, breaking the landscape down into colour and shape. But it is more than just this. He is depicting both the mood of the place and of the artist. Impatient to capture the scene, he tends to work quickly, eager to translate what it is he sees. Often the same or similar view is repeated but Andrew cleverly employs a variety of approaches in the way he utilises medium and mark making to evoke different conditions and atmospheres. His compulsion to successfully and honestly communicate his impression of the world to the viewer has resulted in a more experimental feel to his work and fascinating collection of paintings.

"October Day Gyllyngvase" with its water thin washes of paint and sparsity of composition and palette is a meditative study evoking the sense of an awe inspiring landscape. The limited brush strokes manage to describe an immense, wintery sky, its quiet vastness is further compounded by the splashes of crimson and blue that draw the eye down to the tiny figures on the shore.

Andrew returned again to the beach to observe the bay under very different conditions. "Big Seas at Gyllyngvase" is a powerful study full of movement and energy. Churning, tumbling, grey-green waves crash onto the sea shore. The paint itself seems to have been driven across the surface by the gusting wind. In this study the figures almost merge with the landscape evoking in the viewer the feeling of being surrounded by the elements.

In contrast to the dramatic expanses of the ocean, the sheltered stretch of river between Penryn and Falmouth provides a different perspective entirely. "Summer Colours, Penryn River" with its complexity of mark making and thick textured surface evokes the end of a warm sunny day on a busy stretch of river at the height of summer. Darting, glancing brush strokes depict sparkling reflections of brightly coloured boats on the warm blue water.

The bustling activity of a busy harbour is encapsulated in a view across to Falmouth from the village of Flushing. "Into the Light from Flushing Quay" is rendered in a glistening palette of silvers and blues, boats and their masts punctuating the rhythm of the composition. The sunlight dances across the surface of the water and bounces back up into clouds above Falmouth's skyline outlined in the distance.

These places have been chosen by Andrew because of the deep meaning they hold for him, making the exhibition a very personal exploration for him. This is an important collection which will be of great interest to followers of Andrew's work and newcomers alike. It is a fascinating record of his engagement with and passion for his environment and his continuing development as an exceptional artist.

To receive a catalogue of paintings or more information about the exhibition please contact Beside the Wave gallery@beside-the-wave.co.uk or (01326) 211132. Catalogue paintings will be available to view on the gallery website www.beside-the-wave.co.uk a week prior to the exhibition, with the full collection of work available to view on the gallery website from Friday 14th May 2010.