ANNABEL KEATLEY
Annabel Keatley was born in 1966 near London. She received her Bachelor of Art in Painting and Drawing at Edinburgh College of Art in 1988 and her Masters of Art at Chelsea School of Art, London in 1989.
In 1990, after completing her Masters, Annabel received the first of 2 awards from the Prince’s Trust to work with a Russian artist in Kiev, Ukraine. The exchange led to her first solo show, funded by the British Council and The Princes Trust, which travelled from The Arbat Gallery in Moscow to West London. From there on she had solo shows in central London until her move to Spain in 1996.
During her career Annabel has won awards to paint in both Jamaica (The Triangle Workshop) and Andalucia (The Delfina Studio Award) and she led a Prince’s Trust ‘Partners in Europe’ creative project in Moscow with young Russians combining papermaking, puppetry, photography and theatre. In 2020 she was awarded a place in the annual ‘Sowing Seeds’ artists residency in Rajasthan, India, where she worked with local children in a tribal village on a project combining papermaking and simple printmaking techniques.
In 2018 she was the invited guest artist for Arte Seville at Espacio 1de7 de Autor and later that year had a solo show with that same gallery. Her most recent show in London was at The Rowley Gallery in 2020, where she has been a gallery artist since 2007. Annabel continues to exhibit in both Andalucia and the UK and is also represented at Moorwood Art, Somerset.
Annabel’s work can be found in public collections in Edinburgh, Brazil, London and Moscow and in private collections worldwide.
Annabel now lives and works on the Granada coast surrounded by mango orchards, with views of both the snow capped mountains of the Sierra Nevada and the expanse of the Mediterranean sea from her home.
ARTIST STATEMENT
My paintings are created in my studio with oil, encaustic and mixed media, and in the landscape with watercolour.
In all my work my primary motivation is always colour. Colour makes us feel things, transports us to different places, and brings up emotions. Colour is healing and captivating. Colour combinations are so beautiful and never seem to loose their power and novelty for me.
I am inspired by responding to the feeling of a particular place. The heat of the summer, the colour and depth of the sea, rhythms and patterns made by fields of tropical trees.
Painting with watercolour on site/en plein air allows me to respond rapidly, recording the colour and feeling of a place whilst balancing deliberate mark making with the freedom and spontaneity of the medium.
In contrast, working in my studio with oil is much slower, and paintings sometimes take months to finish. Applying and fusing together layers of hot liquid beeswax in a painterly way and adding textures enables me to build up the surface, whilst simultaneously being able to reveal past marks by scraping away. In this way I create a tapestry of vibrant saturated colours which weave into each other, and make a rich and varied surface. I discover the composition as I work, which is usually a harmony and balance between abstraction and figurative.
I love to build up layers to create depth. I like to experiment and make alterations. Colour is my motivation and working spontaneously is strengthened by great attention to the small details.
My paintings are created in my studio with oil, encaustic and mixed media, and in the landscape with watercolour.
In all my work my primary motivation is always colour. Colour makes us feel things, transports us to different places, and brings up emotions. Colour is healing and captivating. Colour combinations are so beautiful and never seem to loose their power and novelty for me.
I am inspired by responding to the feeling of a particular place. The heat of the summer, the colour and depth of the sea, rhythms and patterns made by fields of tropical trees.
Painting with watercolour on site/en plein air allows me to respond rapidly, recording the colour and feeling of a place whilst balancing deliberate mark making with the freedom and spontaneity of the medium.
In contrast, working in my studio with oil is much slower, and paintings sometimes take months to finish. Applying and fusing together layers of hot liquid beeswax in a painterly way and adding textures enables me to build up the surface, whilst simultaneously being able to reveal past marks by scraping away. In this way I create a tapestry of vibrant saturated colours which weave into each other, and make a rich and varied surface. I discover the composition as I work, which is usually a harmony and balance between abstraction and figurative.
I love to build up layers to create depth. I like to experiment and make alterations. Colour is my motivation and working spontaneously is strengthened by great attention to the small details.
CURRICULUM VITAE
BIOGRAPHY
1984-1988
Bachelor of Art. Painting and Drawing.
Edinburgh College of Art, Scotland.
1988-1989
Master of Art. Printmaking.
Chelsea School of Art, London.
1996
Moved to Andalucia, Spain.
Currently lives and works near Granada in the Costa Tropical, Andalucia.
Permanent Gallery Artist at The Rowley Gallery, 15 Kensington Church Street, London and Moorwoodart.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2019
The Rowley Gallery, London
2018
‘Tierra y Luz’ Galería 1de7 Espacio de Autor, Sevilla
2015
Galeria Cartel, Granada.
2008
Galeria Clemente, Torrox, Malaga.
1998
Alberdini,Competa, Malaga.
1996
The Blue Gallery, London.
The Friends Room, Victoria and Albert Museum.
1993-1995
Open Studio Shows, London.
1992
CBI Head Office, London.
The Pump House Gallery, London.
1991
The Arbat Gallery, Moscow.
Turtle Key Arts Centre, London.
AWARDS
1995
Recipient of award to participate in The Xayamaca Workshop-
International Artists Workshop, Jamaica.
1993
Recipient of The Delfina Studio Award, Andalucia, Spain.
Recipient and co-leader for The Princes Trust “Partners in Europe” Scheme. Project combining theatre, puppetry, paper-sculpture and photography in Moscow.
1990
Recipient of The British Council Grant for Exhibiting Abroad.
Recipient of The Princes Trust “Go Ahead” Grant.
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2019
Mini Cuadros ll. Espacio Creativo, Almuñécar
2018
Exposición Collectiva, Almuñecar, Granada
Naturaleza, Mijas, Málaga
SaloArte La Fábrica, La Azucarera, Salobreña, Granada
Tierra de Hambre, Galeria EsArte, Marbella
Costa del Arte Collective, Galeria Luz, Cómpeta
2017
Mini Cuadros, Espacio Creativo, Almuñecar
Casa de la Cultura, Almuñecar
Art Fair, Málaga
Moorwoodart, Annual show, UK
Art Sevilla, invitation to be “The Guest”, Espacio de Autor 1de7 Seville
La Azucarera, Motril
2016
SaloArte, Salobreña
Moorwoodart, Somerset, UK
2015
Kitty Harri’s Sculpture Garden
Art Is Málaga
SaloArte – Salobreña, Granada
International Art Day, Málaga
2014
Arte Textil Experimental – Casa de la Cultura, Almuñécar, Granada.
SaloArte – Salobreña, Granada.
Ruta del Arte – PintaBienGranada, Granada.
Moorwoodart, Wiltshire, England.
2013
Saloarte, Castillo de Salobreña, Granada.
‘El Arte de la pequena’ Casa de la Cultura, Salobreña, Granada.
Mujeres Encendidas. Casa de Cultura, Salobrena, Granada.
2012
Saloarte. Castillo de Salobreña, Granada.
Small works, Water Street Gallery, Yorkshire.
2006
Galeria Felicia Hall, Granada.
2004
Galeria de Arte Laberinto, Competa, Málaga.
Galeria Molino de Hadriano, Competa, Málaga.
2003
Cuadros Rodriguez, Malaga.
1998
Casa Cultura,Competa, Malaga.
1997
“Artists of the Axarquia”, Velez-Malaga.
1996
The Blue Gallery.
1995
Xayamaca Workshop Exhibition, Kingston, Jamaica.
“Elemental” The Blue Gallery, London.
1994
The Blue Gallery, London.
Ten Young Painters. Thompsons Gallery, London.
1992
“Springpoint” London.
1991
Three Painters. Turtle Key Arts Centre, London.
Touring exhibition to major cities in the soviet Union of foreign
artists work.
1990
Prema Arts Centre.
1989
The London Group Exhibition.
Whitworth Young Contemporary, Manchester.
Flowers East Gallery, London.
Young Graduate of the Year, London.
1988
A Festival Exhibition-6 Printmakers.
1987
Edinburgh College of Art – Prize for Drawing.
Aberdeen Annual Drawing Competition.
Paisley Arts Centre, Glasgow.
The Richard Demarco Gallery, Edinburgh.
Tolquohon Gallery, Aberdeenshire.
Royal Scottish Academy.
2015
Kitty Harri’s Sculpture Garden
Art Is Málaga
SaloArte – Salobreña, Granada
International Art Day, Málaga
2014
Arte Textil Experimental – Casa de la Cultura, Almuñécar, Granada.
SaloArte – Salobreña, Granada.
Ruta del Arte – PintaBienGranada, Granada.
Moorwoodart, Wiltshire, England.
2013
Saloarte, Castillo de Salobreña, Granada.
‘El Arte de la pequena’ Casa de la Cultura, Salobreña, Granada.
Mujeres Encendidas. Casa de Cultura, Salobrena, Granada.
2012
Saloarte. Castillo de Salobreña, Granada.
Small works, Water Street Gallery, Yorkshire.
2006
Galeria Felicia Hall, Granada.
2004
Galeria de Arte Laberinto, Competa, Málaga.
Galeria Molino de Hadriano, Competa, Málaga.
2003
Cuadros Rodriguez, Malaga.
1998
Casa Cultura,Competa, Malaga.
1997
“Artists of the Axarquia”, Velez-Malaga.
1996
The Blue Gallery.
1995
Xayamaca Workshop Exhibition, Kingston, Jamaica.
“Elemental” The Blue Gallery, London.
1994
The Blue Gallery, London.
Ten Young Painters. Thompsons Gallery, London.
1992
“Springpoint” London.
1991
Three Painters. Turtle Key Arts Centre, London.
Touring exhibition to major cities in the soviet Union of foreign
artists work.
1990
Prema Arts Centre.
1989
The London Group Exhibition.
Whitworth Young Contemporary, Manchester.
Flowers East Gallery, London.
Young Graduate of the Year, London.
1988
A Festival Exhibition-6 Printmakers.
1987
Edinburgh College of Art – Prize for Drawing.
Aberdeen Annual Drawing Competition.
Paisley Arts Centre, Glasgow.
The Richard Demarco Gallery, Edinburgh.
Tolquohon Gallery, Aberdeenshire.
Royal Scottish Academy.
+34 699 80 16 13
@annabel_keatley