A “key” contributor to the art world, Geoffrey Key, was born in 1941 in the UK. A Northern painter whose oils are vibrant and modern in expression, the artist, as of 2015, has worked in the art field 50 years, thus far.
Venues that Feature Key Artwork
Key built upon his early studies in Manchester at the High School of Art as well as at the Regional College of Art. He has worked in oils, rendering both on-board and on-canvas expressions of his interesting creations. The acclaimed artist enjoys international status and acclaim. Key’s work is featured in corporate and public collections as well as private galleries. You can view Key’s work at:
- The Salford and Manchester Art Galleries
- The Jockey Club of Hong Kong
- The Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong
- The Societe Roquefort
- Perrier
- Chateau de St Ouen
Some of the Artist’s Popular Works
In recent times, the revered painter has represented UK in exhibitions in Europe and has been featured in one-man shows, all which have been featured across the Asian continent, Australia, Europe, the USA and the UK. Paintings by Key have been discussed in various articles and books. Some of the vibrant art examples the artist has painted include:
- Queen of Diamonds (an oil on canvas)
- Harlequin in the City (oil on canvas)
- Moorland Bird (a nice oil on canvas for bird lovers)
- Pierrot with Doves (oil on canvas)
- Horse (bronze sculpture)
- The Grandstand (an oil on canvas featuring equestrian riders)
- Jugs & Bottle (an oil on canvas still life)
The above oil-on-canvas paintings cause the art aficionado to want to learn more about the artist Key. The recognised painter was born in 1941 in Rusholme in Manchester and has resided in Salford for 40+ years. Currently, he is considered to be one of the UK’s most important contributors to works that are contemporarily themed. His flamboyant personality complements the colourful oil renderings. Key’s paintings are predominantly influenced by the school known as European Modernism.
His bold use of hues and colours, strong creativity along with astute skills in draughtsmanship have led to the creation of surreal yet striking compositions of art. While Key is well-known for his works in oil, he is also a talented and accomplished sculptor. The artist took postgraduate coursework in sculpting at Manchester’s Regional College of Art.
Still, art fans of Key like to see the artist’s colourful oil images. Key, like many artists, finds working in oil, to be more satisfying, much more preferable in fact than using watercolour paints for artistic expressions. The reason for this becomes clear when you consider the advantages and benefits of working in oil.
Artists from all over the globe have been using oil paints for an exceptionally long time. Oil paintings were first displayed and noted in England in the 1200s. At that time, the paints were mainly employed for decorative purposes.
Artists like Key prefer to work with oils as the paint dries slowly. As a result, if you want to change an oil rendering, you have the ability to do so without too much difficulty. One only has to learn the history behind the painting of Mona Lisa to know that this fact is true. The artist, Leonardo da Vinci, worked on the painting a good part of his life. Investigators have found where the artist painted over certain aspects of the central character several times. Needless to say, Da Vinci certainly took advantage of the fact that oil has a slow-drying quality.
Oil paints seem to get along with each other easily and amicably as they blend well with one another. When an artist uses oil paints on a canvas, he not only can form imaginative strokes with the brush, he can create other kinds of blends. You simply cannot establish this kind of impact when you use other kinds of artist paints.
As a result, most painters find that oil is the easier medium with which to work. Generally, producing oil paintings is a relatively simple process when you compare it with using other popular mediums, such as pastels or watercolour tints.
Most beginning artists utilise oil paints for this very reason. If you are an appreciator of fine art, you know that oil will not run during painting, thus providing more precision when an artist is creating a work. Corrections are also easier to make. All the artist needs to do is to use a knife to scrap off the paint before repainting the scraped surface.
Again, because oils are easier mediums to use and they dry slowly, the artist is given more of an opportunity to work on a painting over a longer period of time. Because of this fact, you will find that the works of oil painters evolve over the artist’s life as artists have more time to hone their artistic talent and consider their work as a whole.
Some artists or painters who use watercolours may look at oil paints as not being beneficial because they dry slowly. That is because the wet surface opens up the painting to a stronger possibility of damage.
Because Key is afforded extra time working in oils, his paintings continue to draw more and more appeal year after year. The artist’s dynamic and strong figures and surreal compositions cause art experts to almost categorise Key’s works as being buoyant.
Key’s utilisation of texture, light, form and colour are simply masterful and have led to the display of the artist’s work in private and public venues throughout the world. Paintings have been featured in France, Hong Kong, and the painter’s adopted home of Salford. One-man shows of the artist’s paintings have appeared on four continents and the artist has received considerable acclaim in books and articles in the media.
Like other pieces of art, the worth of Key’s art differs somewhat in accordance with the size, provenance and topic of the painting. Key’s vibrant and strongly coloured figures and landscapes are the most typical of his paintings’ themes. However, the artist is also respected for his brilliant still life paintings. In fact, the still life paintings have a large following of art collector fans.