Woodland: Roy Wright

Roy Wright is an exceptional draughtsman. For his latest exhibition at the Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery Wright returns to the challenging medium of charcoal to conjure up - in a series of large-scale drawings - the great oaks, birches and chestnut trees of the English countryside.

In these new works the artist has drawn inspiration from the bold design choices of Japanese woodblock prints. Although working in nature, directly from the motif Wright has sought out and deployed the unexpected croppings, undulating rhythms and flattened perspectives of Ukiyo-e art.

For Wright the woodland is a place of contemplation and healing power.  Wright's drawings result from hours of sustained looking in the woodland  followed by 'obsessive' sketching, before any mark is made on the final design. With his masterly handling of charcoal - myriad marks applied with surprising speed and consummate assurance - Wright builds up images that combine extraordinary detail with a vivid naturalism. His trees appear almost to rustle in the wind. The restrained monochrome of these charcoal-on-paper images brings into focus the textures and rhythms - and, indeed, the iconic individuality - of each extraordinary tree.

Wright has won numerous awards for his work (including - in 2001 - the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition award for a drawing of an architectural subject). In 2003 he was elected a member of the Pastel Society. His work is held in many public and corporate collections in the UK and America.