Artist Background:

In 2007 Chris enrolled in art classes at the Hazelhurst Gallery and Art Centre where he learnt oil painting and printmaking. Chris has also received invaluable advice from his uncle, the artist Joseph Michael Conroy. He has continued classes to the current date.

Chris has published a book, ‘Renaissance Composition and Painting Techniques’ which is available as both a hardcover and ebook from Amazon.com

Chris Ridgway works mainly in the mediums of oil painting, etching and monotype printing. He does sketching and studies in pen and ink, silverpoint, conte crayon, and graphite pencil.

Chris was influenced early on by the artists and illustrators Roger Dean and Rodney Matthews. He also admires the works of the great masters of the Renaissance including Andrea Mantegna, Joachim Patinier, Leonardo da Vinci, Giorgione, Albrecht Durer as well later artists such as Rembrandt and Vincent van Gogh.

The ideal of art for Chris is to capture beauty, light and colour and a sense of awe and mystery, using realism as a starting point but deviating from that to achieve his vision.