Biography
I was born in India in 1952, where my father managed tea plantations. After resettling in England, I studied Modern Languages B.A. Hons (German & French) at Emmanuel College, Cambridge from 1970-74. After graduating I worked in Germany and for the Museum of London as an archaeologist for a year, which sparked my interest in layers of time and the hidden history beneath our feet.
I went on to study Fine Art (Painting) at Camberwell College of Arts from 1975-79, graduating with a First Class B.A. Hons degree, and I continued my studies in painting on the M.F.A. course at Reading University from 1979-81, which was run by the St Ives painter Terry Frost.
On graduating in 1981, I was awarded a Boise Travelling Scholarship to New York from the Slade School of Art, where I pursued my interest in American Abstract Expressionism. I also admire the painters Peter Lanyon, Ivon Hitchens, Barbara Rae and Joan Eardley.
On my return from New York I worked as an artist in London before moving to West Dorset in 1987, and I gave up part-time lecturing in Public Art at Roehampton University in 2002 to concentrate fully on painting. In addition to exhibiting regularly, I now enjoy running occasional residential painting courses in Le Marche, Italy https://hotelleonemarche.com/en/retreats/painting-holiday-with-gerry-dudgeon/
Selected Exhibitions
2019
Fresh Art Fair, Cheltenham, April
Polly Skye Gallery, Lynton (group show)
Bath and West Show, Open exhibition May
Bridport Open Studios, 7th - 15th September
2018
Kingfisher Art, Woodstock Oxon (group show)
Affordable Art Fair, Battersea, London (group show)
The Auction Collective, London E2 (Auction of Greek Diving paintings)
2017
VJB Arts, Gresham St, London EC2 (Solo Show of Moroccan paintings)
Royal Bath & West Show (Group Show - First Prize in Painting)
Domaine Cailhol Gautran, SW France (Winery - Solo show of French paintings)
Galleries
Pictures on display in the UK
The Polly Skye Gallery
The Wishing Well, Castle Hill, Lynton, Devon EX35 6JA
www.pollyskye.co.uk
The Jerram Gallery
Half Moon Street, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3LN
www.jerramgallery.com
Coombe Gallery
20 Foss Street, Dartmouth, S. Devon TQ6 9DR
www.coombegallery.com
Paintings can also be viewed at my West Dorset studio, please get in touch to make an appointment.
Commissions
I am happy to take on commissions both for corporate enterprises and for private individuals, and I welcome the opportunity to make large-scale work if required.
Typically, clients respect the way I normally paint, but they like the freedom to specify format, dimensions and the type of mood or atmosphere they want to create. This tends to make the commissioned work more personal. Clients enjoy the opportunity to liaise directly with the artist, and I welcome the challenge of responding to a brief.
A preference for the use of certain colours might also be made. A restaurant owner, for example, might prefer paintings of an up-tempo and festive nature, whereas one of my commissions for Royal Caribbean Cruises was for a cigar lounge, which needed to be quieter and more muted in feeling.
Prices are consistent with the paintings on this website, and normally 50% deposit is made in advance, with the balance being paid on completion. Arrangements can also be made to pay by instalments if preferred. The cost includes framing and delivery of the paintings, and I can post or email photographs of the work in progress, as some clients find this helpful.
