"For Tozer 'Precious Things' heralds an acclaimed new era of work."

Tozer's work resonates with an unerring assurance, achieving lively scenes of light and movement in deftly applied brushstrokes. Scenes are stripped of superfluous detail, instead focusing on capturing mood. The resulting paintings have a resonance of memory, touching reminders of a fleeting moment in time.

Most celebrated for his plein-air paintings of the Cornish landscape, the legacy of the Impressionist era is immediately apparent in swiftly rendered surfaces and quality of light. In recent collections we have seen the introduction of new subject areas and it has been in these figurative studies that a new phase of more painterly work began.

Tozer is reflective of how his work has developed to attain a more pared-down outcome. He recalls one of the first breakthrough moments:

"I painted four or five sketches in one day, when I got home I looked at them and realised that they were streets ahead of anything I was doing - it took me another eight years to translate what I'd found in those sketches into my larger paintings"

Creating a painting that is of the moment is an ongoing compulsion and in 'Precious Things' Tozer explores this further in a diversity of subjects that all have a personal resonance: Tom the cat, 'chaotic but lovely' moments of family life, washing on the line, yachts out at sea - the variety makes for interesting viewing and there is a sense of a coming of age to the work. In Tozer's words:

"My technical ability has caught up with what I know. Dealing with gesture and paint is ok but it needs to be held together with technical skills. Accuracy and composition have to underpin the impression"

Utter dedication has been an enduring factor in Tozer's journey. He devours art books and heralds the likes of Bonnard, Manet, Renoir and Velazquez. Those artists in particular have influenced a part of this exhibition titled 'The Black Series' an intriguing angle for an artist who delights in the play of light and colour. He says:

"I want to surprise people; I'm looking at subjects that are the polar opposites; daffodils on an acid coloured cloth or the rain over the docks. The Black Series is about how to make something dark uplifting; I don't want to be pigeon holed, essentially I paint pictures to make people feel better."

The development in Tozer's work is unmistakable and in these latest paintings he has broken through to new ground. The voice he has found is stripped back to the essentials, turning good painting into something even more special. For Tozer 'Precious Things' heralds an acclaimed new era of work.

Andrew Tozer's solo show 'Precious Things' culminates the 'Effortless Brushstrokes' season of exhibitions held by Beside The Wave, in conjunction with Falmouth Art Gallery.

To receive further information about the exhibition please contact Beside The Wave gallery@beside-the-wave.co.uk or 01326 211132. All paintings will be available to view on the gallery website www.beside-the-wave.co.uk from 16th March 2012.

View Andrew Tozers Index Page