After a successful national and international career spanning three decades, local artist Jeremy Duncan brings his work home this month, when he features in a new exhibition at Chapel Arts in Cheltenham.

Jeremy Duncan first came to Cheltenham in 1984, to study for a degree in Fine Art at Gloucestershire College of Art and Design.

From working initially as an architectural illustrator, Jeremy’s artistic career blossomed and he showed for 30 years in group shows, including several times at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, and was represented by a central London gallery (in Cork Street, Mayfair) for eight years from 2004 to 2012, where he had three successful solo shows and was exhibited by them at international art fairs in America and Europe. Meanwhile he taught part-time in an art school for 21 years.

After a break he then spent five years in Cheltenham drawing and photographing, before resuming painting a year ago, something he says started when he was young.

He said: “I have drawn ever since I was a toddler when I remember drawing every day on huge sheets of white card, the back of my father’s sports club timetables’’.

“A family holiday to Ludlow in Shropshire when I was 13 was a milestone, when I went out all day, every day, on my own and happy in that isolation, drawing the ancient buildings in sun and shadow, returning to our rented cottage in the evening sensing a breakthrough and some achievement.”

Jeremy now specialises in what he calls “abstract realism”, focusing on painting old buildings and their features.

His passion for painting has seen him travel the world for inspiration, to places like New York, Paris and Rome.

But now he says Cheltenham provides all the motivation he needs to create new work.

He continues: “I particularly love a long walk that takes me from my house in the centre of Cheltenham down the Promenade, through Montpellier and The Park to a footpath off the Shurdington Road to Leckhampton church.

“Then I climb the hill past old oak trees and grazing cattle to the breathtaking views from the summit and descend again through beech trees and fields to town. As well as lifting the spirits this walk clears the head and recharges the batteries, enabling me to see the particular painting I’m tackling in my studio in a fresh light.”

An exhibition of Jeremy’s work will be featured at Chapel Arts in Cheltenham this month.

The display, entitled ‘A Certain Slant of Light’, will feature pieces from the last seven years, and when asked what fuels his desire to create art, the answer is clear.

“Light on buildings. Initially I needed to record what I saw, always from direct observation, whether sunlight, dusk or lamplight. Then I became aware of picture-making and was much more careful about subject matter and composition.

“In recent years the subjects came from cities around the world and the challenges these posed. Recently abstract qualities have come to the fore. I want to make something that works in its own right while also being of a particular place.”

‘A Certain Slant of Art’ will be at Chapel Arts from Wednesday 10th to Saturday 27th July, with a free drop-in talk on Thursday 25th July (11am – 12pm) when Jeremy will be available to answer questions about his work.

For more information visit www.thechapelarts.com