Millions know Kent artist Michael Chaplin as art expert on the successful television series "Watercolour Challenge". He featured in almost sixty programmes.
He is a Member of the Royal Watercolour Society, a past Vice- President of the Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and President of the Royal Tunbridge Wells Art Society.
His paintings both in oil and watercolour, and his etchings are in Royal, Public and Private collections worldwide, including those of Her Majesty the Queen, Prince & Princess Michael of Kent, Ex-King Constantine of Greece, United Arab Shipping, The Daily Express and many others.
Mike's love of teaching extends beyond the many courses which he runs both at home & abroad. He has co-operated many times with Tate Britain supplying handling sheets for the Girtin exhibition, Acoustiguide voice notes for both the ‘Hockney on Turner' and ‘ Monet, Turner & Whistler' Exhibitions, and more recently by making a series of short films on J M W Turner's techniques when he was given the unique opportunity of using pigments left in Turner's studio on his death.
Mike travels extensively and many of his paintings are based on the fast confident sketchbook notes which he is constantly making. Architecture is his main subject matter. His interiors (often of cathedrals and large empty spaces) capture a sense of space and light which are moving to the viewer. His exteriors often show people going about their everyday life in sunlit Italian squares and his paintings of Venice capture all the texture and colour of that magical city.
A recent trip to Luxor in Egypt is providing the inspiration for many new paintings. Mike works fast in watercolour with the confidence of an artist who learnt his drawing skills through the discipline of etching and engraving.
For details of Mike's courses and to view many more paintings visit his website at www.mikechaplin.com