Stephen J Bragg Dip Arch (Oxford) RIBA FRSA

Born in 1947, Stephen is a qualified Architect, a Senior Director in one of the UK's largest and most successful practices.

Self taught in Art, he has drawn and painted from a young age although did not paint at all between 1972 and 1984. Recommenced pencil drawing in 1984 and graduated to Watercolours in 1988.

He is interested in the luminosity of the Watercolour medium and particularly its perverse difficulty, his works are detailed responses to the natural world, carefully drawn, planned and executed in the manner of a military campaign.

Taking cues from the natural world, he has explored the two-dimensional graphical quality of the three-dimensional world expressed variously in shadows, contrast, and patterns often depicted as dynamic form seen from unusual angles. Collision and contradiction coupled with an intense use of full and vibrant colours.

He is also inspired by the bright light and contrast of the Mediterranean sun, leading to paintings that capture the intensity of the climate with the use of deep full colours and shadows revelling in the luminous transparency of the medium to create powerful and distinctive images.

Subjects are explored in series. Some of the later works concentrate on buildings and their articulated details - balconies, fire stairs, canopies etc and the shadows, patterns and textures they create.