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Ted Dyer was born in Bristol in 1940. He has lived and worked for most of his life in the West country. His younger years were spent in Devon and Somerset, then in 1973 he moved with his family to Cornwall. From a very early age Ted had an instinctive need to draw and paint. After moving to Cornwall he devoted all his working energies to painting. He concentrates on painting the South West Peninsula with its quality of light, giving his work a distinctive character. The paintings are of places he knows well, portrayed with soft colour, light and shade. The feeling is of warmth and friendliness, a relaxed atmosphere, a day at the beach or in the countryside, a quiet corner of a room or boats resting in a harbour. Ted Dyer feels that close colour harmonies and the particular effect of light are all important to his work. He uses the subtle hues created by the early morning or evening sun to fill his canvas with that indefinably delicate touch. He takes great care with the composition of his paintings using the human figure as an integral part of the total scene. The complex compositions at first appear simple with each element falling so naturally into place. The grouping of the figures help to create a uniquely narrative style and the apparently accidental colour placements are carefully juxtaposed to create a feeling of life and unity within the canvas. Ted Dyer has been influenced by many different artists and groups including the vitality of the early school of French plain-air through to the Newlyn School and more recently the representational section of the British contemporary art scene. Those different threads of influence and ideas have combined to act as a background and foundation for his work. His paintings will inevitably evoke and change, however, his unique character as expressed through his paintings will continue to delight and surprise and give pleasure with continued viewing. |