Hi, I’m Ja, an artist working mainly with oil paint in and around the British Isles, based in Shropshire.

My early years

Although born in landlocked Warwickshire, the majority of my fondest, most vivid, childhood memories are of family holidays on the Isles of Scilly, sailing or on the coast of the Mediterranean. On these holidays I spent much of my time drawing.

It was during my early teens that I was fortunate enough to attend Streete Court Preparatory School, in Surrey. It was whilst there that I was introduced to oil painting by one of my tutors, Mr Parry. Little did I know at the time, but this brief introduction to the medium would later lead to me painting with oil paint. And not just as a hobby but for many hours each week and with my work hanging in galleries… and selling!

A round about route to painting

By this point I was hooked on art and was determined to ensure that art would play a predominate role in my education.

After studying Art as well as Classical Civilisation, with particular emphasis on the arts and culture of ancient Greece, to A’Level I went on to graduate in Graphic Design from Bournemouth and Poole College of Art and Design (now know as the Arts University Bournemouth).

Even throughout my art focused education I never understood all of the career paths I could have taken and so I chose, at a fairly young age, to aim at becoming a graphic designer. To this day I believe school children are not made aware of this diverse career path. This has not been helped by the successive governments, regardless of party, cutting funding to art education and the arts in general. All this regardless of the revenue the arts bring to this country.

Picking up the brushes again

It was whilst working late one evening, my friend and fellow graphic designer and I were discussing the dying hands-on creativity in the graphics industry as the computers became the main industry tool.

This conversation lead to both of us becoming artists.

My training and experience as a graphic designer has provided me with the draughtsmanship skill, an eye for composition and perspective, as well as an understanding of colour theories. This knowledge of colour gamuts and mixing colours for printing has influenced my palette which I base around cyan (C), magenta (M) and yellow (Y)  rather than the traditionally red (R), green (G) and blue (B) palette general taught in art.  These are all key foundations in all my work.

My early introduction to the coast, particularly my childhood memories of Tresco, continues to inspire my subject matter with colour, including the powerful blues such as cyan, in the form of cerulean, and french ultramarine ranging to yellow through to magenta, dominating my work.

Sticking my head above the parapet

I have exhibited with galleries and regularly with the Shropshire Art Society, with whom I am now a committee member.

I am fortunate to have sold work in the British Isles, Europe and even as far a field as Australia. For each of you that have purchased a painting you have my heartfelt thanks as you enable me to do something that I love.

And finally, as some of you have asked about my first name, its pronounced Jay and is from Jason.

Ja Edwards