Beauty on display at lakeside centre
ROBERT Lees is back at the Hollingworth Lake Visitor Centre with his stunning landscapes.
Robert is one of our many high quality home-grown artists, alongside such as Shay Dolan, Elizabeth White, John Cooke and Emma Travis.
Robert was born in Royton 67 years ago and has lived in the town ever since.
He first realised that he had artistic talent during his school days at St Anne’s Church of England Secondary Modern School.
He went on to qualify as a mechanical design engineer at Oldham College of Technology. This led to him setting up and running his own engineering consultancy.
From 1975 to 1988, Robert ‘avidly painted every evening’, but once he started his business the demands of work took over and he ‘found little time to paint’.
Then in 2010, after ‘retirement and some soul searching,’ he started painting again.
His pictures are not just skilfully painted, but atmospheric and emotive.
Robert expresses his connection to the places he paints through his use of light and colour, usually in mixed media - water colour with pastel, water colour pencil and charcoal and chalk.
Robert’s influences are from the impressionist school - Degas, Manet, Monet, Renoir and Turner.
He told me: “They were the most wonderful interpreters of light and mood there has been.”
Surprisingly, Robert still sees himself more as a mechanical design engineer than an artist.
He said: “It is what I did, what my qualifications are in. My mechanical designs were greatly enhanced by my skills as an artist, I could design in 3D, with perspective, it gave me an edge in the business.”
The moorland, countryside with lakes, reservoirs and canals around the area where Robert lives inspire him and give him a wide variation of subject matter.
In this exhibition at Hollingworth Lake, he is displaying 12 original paintings, including depictions of local scenes, such as Hollingworth Lake Country Park, Alexander Park, Daisy Nook, Tandle Hills and Delph.
He said: “I would rather paint something aesthetically pleasing than something ugly.”
All of his work certainly reflects this manifesto.
Robert also has greeting cards on sale for £2.50, as well as mounted prints, miniatures, unframed and framed originals, with prices ranging from £9.95 to £300. He also takes on commissions and is there most days to guide visitors through his exhibition and answer questions.
The exhibition at the Hollingworth Lake Visitors Centre is open now until January 6. For more information call 078135 34925 or visit robertlees.net.