Martin Rhys-Jones
Like so many of us, there came a turning point in his life when he realized he simply wasn’t satisfied with his life-style and career prospects.
The urge to paint had always been very strong with him and when he realized that this was really the life he wanted to pursue - he took a momentous decision: to leave the shores of his native England and head for a place where artists had been going for hundreds of years: the South of France. Martin arrived here in 1971 and has remained as enthusiastic and as energized by the Côte d’Azur as the day he arrived – 35 years ago.
Early Years
Ever since childhood Martin wanted to paint - not just as a hobby but as an integral part of his life. As his drawing skills developed so did his determination. Schooling over, he enrolled and studied Graphic Arts at the Brighton College of Arts and Crafts finding work afterwards as a Liaison Executive for various advertising companies.
Attracted by the sea, Martin decided to buy a boat which he kept in Brighton and enjoyed sailing during his free moments. His knowledge of boats was to serve him well in his early days on the French Riviera. During the summer of 1970 he was asked to go and work as a rigger’s mate inside the Mersey Tunnel then undergoing renovation work. Sat underground amongst the noise, grime and difficult working conditions Martin took stock of his life and realized it was time to do what he’d always wanted to do - paint.
He sold his boat, said goodbye to his friends and family and, leaving the British Isles behind him, drove across to France and down to the French Riviera. He soon found work as a crew member on board a number of private sea charters, returning to the harbours of Antibes, Monaco or St Tropez at the end of each contract.
While visiting friends in Vence one weekend, he used the occasion to visit the area and fell in love with Tourrettes-sur-Loup. When the opportunity came his way to rent a small apartment in the village, he couldn’t resist. He has stayed in Tourrettes-sur-Loup ever since.
Slowly a routine slotted into place. During the summer season he worked on charter yachts and then, come winter, stopped to concentrate on painting. He started by producing a number of watercolour landscapes depicting a few of the local medieval towns and perched villages. These he had turned into large posters and small postcards which he then proceeded to sell through the local tourist shops.
"Starting with the idea behind each watercolour, to a varying extent I develop a theme into which I can play my emotions; The drawing which follows is my endeavour to illustrate it.” “Sometimes the process is provoked by something in nature eg trees, cliffs or rocks which attract me to draw. In the drawing which follows, I will try to portray in parallel the human gesture seen in the subject. Sometimes my approach begins with a story of humanity which has deeply moved me. The picture is my endeavour to illustrate this by inventing a landscape and including only elements drawn to reflect the specific feeling.”His style of painting was perfect to portray the lovely towns of Vence, Gourdon, Cannes, St Paul de Vence, St. Jeannet and Tourrettes-sur-Loup. The posters and postcards were a great success and led him to receive several commissions and requests for exhibitions.
In 1978 an unexpected inheritance gave him the possibility of purchasing 20,000m² of wooded land above Tourrettes-sur-Loup. It was a superb location with unobstructed views of the village and Mediterranean Sea - and totally inspirational. Moreover, there was enough money left for Martin to build his own house with a proper art studio and concentrate all his time and effort on painting alone.
With his creativity and ideas he has built a lovely stone house that brings together natural elements and local construction material; but unquestionably it is his art studio that is the life and soul of his home - and perhaps of him too. Here he finds the inspiration to compose some stunning landscapes. His watercolours are unique in style and design, and a pleasure to behold. Colours are chosen with great care so that they capture the true essence of the Mediterranean and its beautiful light.
We think, like us, you’ll be mesmorized by his artwork and will be tempted to own a little part of the French Riviera that he has so gently, yet masterfully, captured.
Contact details
Martin Rhys-Jones
833 Route de Pre Neuf
06140 Tourrettes-sur-Loup
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