The Great Atlantic Galleries

richard a wills

Three horses
102 x 152cm 40 x 60” watercolour on board

Richard Wills was born in Monmouth in 1939. He was schooled in Abergavenny and at Newport College of Art. The contrasts and contradictions within the landscape and in the people of the Welsh Marches are encapsulated and reflected his work, which bridges portraiture, the natural world, industrial landscapes, sport and more recently, the exploration of abstract images on a grand scale.

Working in oils and watercolour, Wills has won international acclaim as a landscape painter and his reputation as a portrait artist is also substantial. His work is regularly selected for the Royal Society of Portrait Painters Annual Exhibition. He was an outstanding first class rugby player in his youth, so his portraits of contemporary Welsh sportsmen, many now hung in major institutions, come from the heart


“The Lineout” 90 x 69cm 36 x 27” edition of 500, unframed	“The Maul” 90 x 69cm 36 x 27” edition of 500, unframed	“The Pass” 90 x 69cm 36 x 27” edition of 500, unframed

His work as a portrait artist has the honesty of Norman Rockwell but without the hint of caricature but, like Rockwell, he captures the moment of thought, of decision, of action. His portfolio of commissioned work includes portraits of leading figures including Sir Geraint Evans, Viscount Tonypandy (former Speaker of the House of Commons), the Archbishop of the Church in Wales, Sir Tasker Watkins MC, and His Royal Highness, Prince Richard Duke of Gloucester.

The tough industrial landscapes of Wales that Richard Wills generally paints in oils, contrast vividly with the opalescent light filled glades and estuaries, the lowland marshes and the rocky coastlines that make up the core of his watercolor portfolio. He has been described by contemporaries and biographers as one of the leading exponents in watercolour technique, an observation reflected by demand for his work in exhibitions and through commissions.

Major commissions have been carried out for the Welsh Rugby Football Union, The Royal Regiment of Wales, and British Steel, who commissioned him to do a major series of industrial studies for their London and Welsh headquarters. The preliminary studies and sketches for this were also purchased for the British Steel archive collection. Other commissions work include work for Newbridge Networks now hanging in the Welsh Office in London, as well as the Japanese company Yamazaki Mazak.

Patronage by industrial and public institutions (including several from the USA) is honour indeed for any artist but can be constraining. Wills has always resisted such a closing in of horizons. He not only finds time to visit and teach workshops of talented young artists in several of the arts colleges and societies in Wales, but also, with his wife, has converted his own home in Monmouth as a weekend retreat for artists to visit, to exchange ideas, to gain inspiration, and to learn.

Some of the places where Richard Wills’ work has been seen include:

The Royal Academy, Royal West of England Academy, Royal Society of Portrait Painters, Watercolour Society of Wales, Welsh Young Contemporaries, Royal Watercolour Society, Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolour and the Pastel Society.

HTV Wales made a documentory called “A Week in the Life of Richard A Wills” and commissioned a portrait of Sir Geraint Evans which was one of the subjects of the film. The painting is now hanging in The Guildhall School of Music, London.

“A sensitivity to the subject and to the character within it is the pervading quality of all of Richard Wills’ work. A mastery of the mediums he uses is his fundamental competence. The wit and the capacity to explore and share his talent is the appeal of the artist as a person."

Please call 01600 718527/ 01736 788911 or e-mail: gallery@greatatlantic.co.uk to reserve the work of your choice.

Works may be collected by arrangement or we can arrange delivery from as little as £20 depending on size and distance. Money back if not entirely satisfied (provided we are informed within 3 days of your painting being collected /delivered). Cheques and all major credit cards accepted. Colours may vary between the original works and the reproductions shown here. All paintings are framed.