Gallery

James Stephenson

James Stephenson is a British artist based in the Ribble Valley, Lancashire. His seascape paintings explore open water, changing light and the meeting of sea and sky.

He works in acrylic on canvas, combining broad areas of colour with textured strokes and visible layers of paint.

The Atlantic

The Atlantic and its connected seas are at the heart of my painting practice. I am drawn to their scale and continual change, and to the calm, force and mystery we encounter at the surface.

Art and observation

As founder of Atlantic Observatory, I work to make ocean science accessible through maps, charts and clear explanations. Painting gives me another way to explore that same ocean. Through colour, light, texture and the movement of paint, I express my own view of its waters.

The sea

The sea remembers nothing.

Yet nothing is ever lost.

A closer connection

Both practices begin with curiosity and a desire to look closer. Understanding the ocean and feeling connected to it belong together. I want my work to encourage that connection, leaving room for wonder, uncertainty and discovery.

Background

Born in High Wycombe in 1991, James studied industrial design at Loughborough University. He has English–Italian heritage and now lives and works in Lancashire.

His wider practice includes stone sculpture. The two bodies of work are presented separately, with STEPHENSON / SEA dedicated to his paintings. His sculpture can be explored at stephenson.studio.