The Artist
Philip Raymond
Westcott was born in 1951 and is a resident of Eccles in the
City of Salford. He studied at Salford Grammar School and later
at the City of Leeds College.
His work
over the last 20 years has predominantly consisted of landscapes
and cityscapes painted in oils around the northwest region of
England. Philip maintains that Manchester itself has been one
of his main sources of inspiration, and it is a tribute to his
talents that he was the only artists invited into the Arndale
Centre to record the devastation caused by the IRA bombing in
1996. He regards his work as a tribute to the northwest landscape.
In his landscape
paintings, he tends towards hidden views of secret places rather
than the more usual and traditional panoramic views. These paintings,
according to Philip, "...show the peace and tranquillity
which are to be found in isolated places of beauty".
Though abstraction
has predominated the art world in recent times, Philip sees
the landscape as having a long tradition in English painting
- a tradition which is in danger of being lost in the modern
media-orientated society. He believes that artists should continue
to capture the landscape while it survives, before spreading
towns and motorways destroy it forever.
Philip's
career is marked by many exhibitions, awards and honours, including
being a Prize-winner in the Salford Urban Art Exhibition, First
Prize winner in the Bury New Year Festival Art Competition and
many others.
Apart from
in his native Salford, his works have been exhibited in British
Watercolour Society shows, the British Society of Painters,
at the Lime Gallery and the Talent Search gallery in California,
and in August 2002 he was invited to exhibit in the "Our
Manchester" exhibition during the Commonwealth Games.
He has also
held a host of solo exhibitions around the northwest and has
been featured in numerous publications including "Art
& Artists", "House & Garden" and
"City Life" magazines.
Information
about Philip Westcott can be found at the Axis Artist Database
at www.Imu.ac.uk/ces/axis
and www.artmanchester.co.uk
He can be
contacted by email at: philip.westcott@ntlworld.com
