Express & Star

Meet the Staffordshire landscape painter inspired by the beauty of nature

Artists have long been drawn to the beauty of nature and the changing seasons.

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Richard Clarke has an exhibition of watercolour studies at Shugborough Hall inspired by trees in the parkland

Richard Clarke has painted for most of his life and enjoys creating enchanting landscapes on canvas.

From rolling fields to grasses swaying in the wind, he captures every detail while also taking time to appreciate the serenity of each moment.

“It’s an emotional connection. You have to sit and think about what you’re doing and how things look. It helps me to realise how profound nature and the world is,” explains the 70-year-old, who paints as R N Clarke.

Walks through the majestic parkland of his local National Trust estate with his wife June were the inspiration behind his latest exhibition.

It features watercolour studies painted between 2016 and 2023 inspired by gardens and grounds at the National Trust’s Shugborough Estate in Staffordshire.

Although he predominantly works with his own handmade oil paints, he decided to try his hand at watercolour painting.