Tony Foster (artist) explained

Tony Foster
Birth Name:Richard Anthony Foster
Birth Date:2 April 1946
Birth Place:New York, Lincolnshire, England
Nationality:British
Spouse:Ann (Partington) Foster
Known For:Artist-explorer, Landscape art Watercolor painting
Awards:1994 Elected Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, 2002 Cherry Kearton Medal and Award

Richard Anthony Foster (born 2 April 1946), known as Tony Foster, is a British artist-explorer and environmentalist who documents wilderness landscapes worldwide through his large-scale artworks created on-site. The artworks are watercolour and graphite on paper and include diary excerpts, collected souvenirs, maps, and talismans. Since 1982, Foster has completed nineteen thematically related watercolour diaries or Journeys.

Early life

Tony Foster was born in New York, Lincolnshire, England, in 1946. He trained as an art teacher and taught for seven years before serving as a Regional Arts Officer for the South West Arts Council of Great Britain. He is a self-taught artist, initially working in mixed media and silkscreen as a pop artist.[1] Inspired by the methodology of J. M. W. Turner,[2] and Foster's interest and passion for wildernesses and painting en plein air, he chose to focus on his own narrative observations, making art a full-time occupation at age 35.[3]

Process

Foster works with graphite and watercolour paints and utilises the ‘en plein air’ technique.[4] He blends 19th century British explorer traditions of making detailed notebook sketches of his travels while working in a large-scale contemporary format.[5] Foster sketches on-site to achieve authenticity and never works from photographs because he believes a direct response is more important than photographic accuracy.[6] [7]

Trekking on foot, rafting, canoeing or scuba diving are some of the methods Foster employs to explore the natural landscape.[8] He documents the experience of his travels, travelling slowly to encounter flora, fauna, people, and objects, recording it through diary notes and collected souvenirs which are essential elements of his artworks. To develop his paintings, some of which necessitate several weeks on-site, Foster frequently camps where he chooses to paint.[9] [10] He often contends with harsh climate conditions to complete his artworks.[11] [12]

Foster resolves about two-thirds of each painting on-site, leaving graphite notes on the paper for reference, then completes the work in his Cornish studio. These notes provide a revelation of his process and a record of decisions made in the field. The completed watercolour artworks include his diary entries, collected souvenirs, talismans, and maps, resulting in a visual and written record of Foster's encounters on his wilderness journeys.[13] [14]

Career

Since 1982, Tony Foster has travelled worldwide and painted wildernesses, creating a series of ‘watercolour diaries’.[15] He believes in the importance of wilderness and the need to protect it.[16]

His artworks of the American West draw comparisons to expedition artists of the early West, such as Thomas Moran and George Catlin by art historian Mindy Besaw. Art historian Duncan Robinson states Foster's work demonstrates the mastery of the centuries-old tradition of English landscape, drawing comparison to John Linnell, John Constable, and Peter De Wint.

Foster's works have resulted in several major exhibitions.[17]

Collections

Awards

Journeys

Special projects

Books

Personal life

He resides in Cornwall, United Kingdom, with his wife, Ann.[40] [41]

See also

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Nonnenberg . Sheryl . 10 March 2016 . Watercolor Wilderness . Palo Alto Weekly . Palo Alto, CA . Bill Johnson .
  2. News: Granberry. Michael. 31 January 2009 . From the edge of the world . . Dallas, TX . Grant Moise .
  3. Reynolds . Jane . 1 June 2008 . Tony Foster Scaling New Heights . Artists & Illustrators . 17–19 . London, England . Chelsea Magazine Company.
  4. Kalayil. Ann. 1 January 2001. Artistic Adventures. Watercolor . American Artist. 74.
  5. News: There's No Mountain Too High, No Valley Too Wide, for Watercolor Artist Tony Foster . artdaily.com . 13 May 2009 . Jose Villarreal .
  6. News: Charles. Eleanor . 26 May 1985 . Journey Paintings . . 1 June 2021.
  7. News: Koster . Anna . Two new galleries present fascinating shows . . San Jose, CA. 23 March 2016 . Sharon Ryan.
  8. News: Nolan . Tim . Where This Artist Goes, Danger Often Follows . . 18 December 2008 .
  9. Reynolds . Jane . 1 June 2008 . Paint with the professionals: Harsher Climates . Artists & Illustrators . 20 . London, England . Chelsea Magazine Company.
  10. News: Farr . Sheila . Depth of Field . . 5 October 2000 . Section E . 1–2.
  11. News: Wade . Alex . My brush with death . . London, England. 29 March 2008 . The Knowledge, p. 2.
  12. News: Alberge . Dalya . ART / Rainforest man: When Tony Foster scouts a location for one of his landscapes he can barely see the wood for the trees, the insects, and the charging pigs . . . Dalya Alberge reports. . London, England. 22 February 1993 . Independent Digital News & Media Ltd.
  13. News: Muller . Seth . Tony Foster show at MNA reveals his process . . 16 June 2013 . Flagstaff, Arizona.
  14. Foster. Tony. 1 May 1989. Artist at Large. . 136–141.
  15. Web site: Artist-explorers and Today's Western Landscape . Besaw. Mindy A.. 2008. Resource Library . Traditional Fine Arts Organization. 28 March 2008.
  16. Book: Robinson, Duncan . Duncan Robinson (art historian). 1 April 2001 . Worldviews: The Watercolor Diaries of Tony Foster . Frye Art Museum. 978-0962460227.
  17. News: Cox . Larry . Grand Canyon inspires British watercolorist . . Tucson, Arizona . 13 November 2008 . Calendar Plus.
  18. Web site: Autry's Collections Online – painting Eight Days on Eagle Peak - Looking East . collections.theautry.org.
  19. Web site: 16 Days Rafting the Colorado/225.8-miles Lee's Ferry to Diamond Creek Denver Art Museum . www.denverartmuseum.org.
  20. Web site: Blog . Nevada Museum of Art . en.
  21. Web site: From Point Sublime looking ESE (Desde Point Sublime viendo hacia el ESE) . Phoenix Art Museum.
  22. Web site: Tony Foster: Watercolor Diaries, Cornwall to Colorado . Yale Center for British Art.
  23. Staff. Nick Reeves Award 2017. Stroud, Gloucestershire, England. 25 October 2017.
  24. News: Faraldi . Caryll . 31 October 1982 . Travels with a Golf Trolley. The Observer . London, England . Paul Webster. Observer Magazine.
  25. Huber. J. Parker. 1985. Wanderlust Artist Tony Foster. Appalachia. Appalachian Mountain Club. Winter 1985–1986. 10–35.
  26. News: Hanson . Bernard . 9 June 1985 . Briton's Watercolors at Yale . . Arts/Entertainment. Hartford, CT . Andrew Julien . 130.
  27. News: Huber . J. Parker . 4 October 1987 . Sierra Odyssey . . Sacramento Bee Magazine. Sacramento, CA . The McClatchy Company . 10, 12–13, 15.
  28. News: McCloud . Kathleen . 15 December 1995 . Desert Diaries . . Santa Fe, NM . Tom Cross . 18, 63.
  29. News: Lee . Veronica . 4 December 2020 . Artist-Explorer Tony Foster to speak at YCBA . . New Haven, CT . Susan Chen .
  30. News: White . Melanie . 3 November 2004 . Explorer daubs diaries of watery wonderlands . Jackson Hole News & Guide . Jackson, WY . Kevin Olson . 83.
  31. News: 20 September 2003 . Artist presents slide lecture on Salmon River . The Times-News . Ketchum, ID . Matt Sandberg . 21.
  32. Foster . Tony . 2008 . Tony Foster Blurs the Lines Between Creative Work and Play . SunValleymag.com . 46 June 2008 . London, England.
  33. News: Bossick . Karen . 18 September 2008 . Tony Foster introduces Painting on the Edge of the World in Ketchum . Idaho Mountain Express . Wood River Journal. Ketchum, Idaho . 1 June 2021.
  34. Fitch . Chris . 10 June 2016 . Exploring Beauty: Watercolour Diaries from the Wild . . London, England . Syon Publishing . 23 May 2021.
  35. News: Melville . Chris . 19 June 2019 . Tony Foster explores Earth's beauteous landscapes . mtexpress.com . 26 May 2021.
  36. McWhorter . Karen Brooks . 17 May 2023 . A Green River Journey . Points West . Cody, Wyoming . 20 June 2023.
  37. Web site: Tony Foster: Watercolour Diaries from the Green River. Buffalo Bill Center of the West.
  38. News: Letcher. Lisa. 10 August 2019 . Villagers convert phone box into Cornwall's smallest art gallery . . 26 May 2021 .
  39. News: 3 June 2020 . Experience Nature with British Artist-Explorer Tony Foster Through Video Tours of His Journeys . Artfix Daily . 26 May 2021 .
  40. News: St Claire. Lynne. 8 October 2008 . Lifelong quest for the big picture . . Plymouth, England . South West Media Group. 2–3 .
  41. Japenga. Ann. 18 June 2011. Tony Foster: Icebergs and Ocotillo. California Desert Art . Ann Japenga.