The Westcott Gallery

Traditional

Lance Penny

Lance Penny, painter, sculptor, and illustrator, teacher, now resident in Reigate has been painting and sculpting for over 50 years. Most of his life has been spent in Central Africa, where with a few colleagues he was among the first abstract expressionist painters.

Lance studied at the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art, where the insistence of Ruskin on academic drawing and painting opened aspects of art, which had not until then been considered. Abstract painting, especially abstract expressionism was at its height and his work divided into two separate fields.

On the one hand, the Ruskin influence left him with a love and interest in classic academic painting and drawing. On the other hand his associations with American students he met, as well as the opportunity to see the work of, and meet some of England's leading abstract expressionists left him a keen exponent of abstract paintings.

During his time in Central and South Africa, he found it necessary to make wild life, landscapes and book illustration the main areas of his work.

Since settling in Surrey Lance has to some extent returned to his early interests - painting the landscapes of England - some portraits - and enjoying the creativity of abstract expressionist painting and sculpture.

Throughout his career he has pursued both paths, painting landscapes, portraits, still life, wild life and illustrating books as well as creating a succession of abstract paintings.

More recently he has developed an interest in sculpture, especially in concrete and cement fondue. Lance lives in Reigate, Surrey, with his partner, and has a son and a daughter, both married. His son and wife have two sons, his daughter and husband have two daughters - such symmetry!

Exhibitions:

• Ashmolean Museum, Oxford
• Wadham College, Oxford
• Olympic Games Funding Exhibition, Nyasaland
• National Art Gallery Of Rhodesia
• National Gallery of Zimbabwe
• Several One Man & Group Exhibitions in Malawi & Zimbabwe
• Recent Exhibitions at Frances Iles Gallery, Rochester,
• Canon Gallery in Petworth and numerous private collectors