Tim Thompson
“It is important that I see exactly how the sails of a yacht are formed when she is rounding a mark or how the ocean appears during a storm.”
Tim Thompson was born in Hull, Yorkshire but spent his youth in the channel islands on the island of Herm. The natural beauty of the island and the influence of the sea in everyday island life fed Tim's imagination from an early age. He is as much a historian as an artist, taking inspiration from tales of great naval battles and historic craft. This historical glamour is brought to his paintings of contemporary craft as well, the same luminosity and romanticism shining through.
A Warm Westerly Breeze off Castle Hill Light, 20x30
Tim works in oil paints on linen canvass and he takes great pains to make sure his technique is as historical as possible. He works in the style of the Dutch maritime painters of the seventeenth century; layer upon layer of thin oil paint built up overtime in a process called "glazing" which creates the depth of color and clarity of form for which he is best known. Before beginning a painting he often spends months pouring over historical accounts of the event he wants to depict, tracking down details such as weather and tidal patterns. It's these little details and intense attention to accuracy that have helped Tim make a name for himself.
Tim's work is widely collected and lauded as "modern classics". He has work in the collections of Ted Turner, Bill Koch, The Shah of Oman, David Rosow, Ranulf Rayner, Sterling Morton Hamill, Les Trois Rois Hotel - Basel, Karl Wissing, Graham Blease and Dennis Conner among others. He was personally commissioned by the Royal Navy and HRH Prince Charles and Diana The Princess of Wales praised his work when they attended an exhibition of his in London. His longest running and most involved project has been a documentation of great moments of the America's Cup throughout the years, with one painting done of the winner of each race. He is the co-author of two books. He lives and works in Cornwall, UK.