LBC Wise Counsel commissions young artist to paint the iconic Wooden Bridge at Queens' College Cambridge
As part of LBC Wise Counsel’s 10th anniversary celebrations we commissioned the highly regarded young artist Lesley O’Reilly to paint the iconic Wooden Bridge at Queens’ College, which is of course the college where we hold the LBCambridge programme. The original painting will hang in our Cheltenham offices, but we have plans to produce a high quality limited edition print of the painting for later this year.
Artist Statement
Lesley O’Reilly
My current work is based upon childhood memories, those of my own and the creations of new ones through my daughter. I studied Fine Art at De Montfort University, Leicester where I specialised in Print and Sculpture looking at everyday patterns made by man and nature. Through this I spent 3 months in Brussels where I honed my skills in life drawing and sculpture, it was here that I developed my interest in Architecture, which would change the direction of my work. Doing this Commission of Queen’s College, Cambridge has given me the opportunity to re-visit my interest in architectural subjects. It is such a beautiful and inspiring place steeped in history and interesting architectural features such as the Wooden Bridge it definitely gave me lots of aspects to choose from.
I am a keen drawer and I love to use different materials to make marks on paper. Currently I have returned to print as my favoured medium because it can be very experimental and gives very subtle marks and colours, which suits my work. I am very true to my subject matter and interpretation is given over to the viewer.
I have exhibited in Wales and London, winning third prize at the RSA Watercolour open exhibition at the Mall Galleries. I have taken time off to have my daughter and now have taken inspiration from childhood memories, which often evoke different reactions and reminiscences’ in different people, some good and some bad. This new work has been exhibited in the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition and RCA Secret Exhibition at the Royal College of Art.