Art, Painting Commissions and Prints from Surrey Artists

Artist: Simon de Kretser

Artist: Simon de Kretser

Boat Ashore - Southwold Harbour by Guildford Art Society Artist Simon de Kretser

Image Size: 17.5cm x 17.5cm
Art Medium: Ink and Watercolour
Original Painting Price: Please Contact the Artist
High quality Giclée Print: £20 inc. delivery

Commissions Invited

Contact The Artist

Simon de Kretser

Artist and Designer

Phone: 07515 393096

Please mention the Surrey Artists website

Email: simon@thebigsky.studio

Website: thebigsky.studio

Facebook: @thebigskystudio

Gallery Of Art

About The Artist

I am a graphic designer and senior partner at FdK Design Consultants but I'm relatively new to the art world, so still have a bit of ‘imposter syndrome’ and shy away from calling myself an artist.

My mother is an architect and art and creativity were very much part of home life as a child, so perhaps it's not surprising that I knew I wanted to be working in the creative industries from an early age.

I was helped by going to a school with an outstanding art department that encouraged creativity and basic art skills and it seemed completely logical to go on to study graphic design at the University of the Creative Arts in Epsom.

I loved my time there - this was in the days prior to the Mac and as well as the principles of design and design thinking, there was a great deal of 'craft' skill to learn; including drawing and painting, typesetting, artwork creation and much more.

Once released into the real world, I worked in a local graphics studio in Guildford before setting up a design consultancy with a friend in 1989, just as the Macintosh computer and desktop publishing were arriving in the UK.

We were convinced that this would revolutionise the graphic design profession and were one of the first studios to set up completely equipped with Macs. The 30 years that followed have been a roller-coaster ride, with highs and lows aplenty and although now much smaller than in our heyday, we continue to produce commercial graphic and communication design for companies of all sizes.

St Andrews Church, Walberswick, Suffolk En Plein Air Painting in progress - Southwold Art Circle Artist Simon de Kretser

St Andrews Church, Walberswick, Suffolk En Plein Air Painting in progress - Southwold Art Circle Artist Simon de Kretser

However, over time, I have come to realise that in bringing undoubted efficiency to the design process, the Mac has also taken something away and it feels like we may have lost our connection with those 'craft' skills and too often creativity is being directed by the technology, rather than by the designer.

With that in mind, I decided that I wanted to go back to my roots and have an outlet for my own creativity; something that would allow me to design and create pieces for my personal satisfaction, using both digital and traditional tools.

Currently I work primarily in ink and watercolour, but I'm also experimenting with digital art, linocut and acrylic painting, so my full portfolio is very varied, whilst I work towards finding my own style.

Bridge over Venice Canal - Misty Evening - Guildford Art Society member Simon Kretser
Walk near Loseley Park - Guildford Art Society member Landscape Artist Simon de Kretser
Garlic - Pastel and Pencil Drawing - Guildford Art Society Still Life Artist Simon de Kretser

Art Groups

I am a member of Guildford Art Society and Southwold Art Circle.