Visit Wayne’s world at new Artistsmeet exhibition (From Watford Observer)

Visit Wayne’s world at new Artistsmeet exhibition

1:07pm Friday 14th September 2012 in Leisure By Melanie Dakin

The late, great Beryl Cook was renowned for the animation of her portraits, the characters she painted were always larger than life, almost spilling out of the picture with their vivacity. Working in a similar vein, 39-year-old painter Wayne Russell depicts aspects of ordinary life in extraordinary detail in his People on the Tube series.

For Wayne, each image has something to say.
“The story you see might not be the same as the story I see, or the same story someone else sees, but there will always be a story,” he says. “It’s quite interesting to hear what others think because it could be completely different to what I had in mind but if it means something to them, then that works for me.”

Wayne says he’s been drawing pictures “since infant school” and went on to study illustration at the Harrow campus of the University of Westminster in 1993.

His painting The Doll is among those on show as part of the Artistsmeet Open Exhibition 2012.
“It’s based on a number of different people I’ve seen, not necessarily together, but I’ve put them in a line – so you focus on why this hard-looking woman is carrying something a bit more fragile.

“Sometimes I might do a sketch when I’m out and about or I might take the essence of what I see and file away that impression in my head.”

The exhibition showcases the work of 19 artists and runs until October 31 at Artistmeet, The Watersmeet Theatre, High Street, Rickmansworth. The show is open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm and Sat 10am-2pm.
Details: www.facebook.com/artistsmeet