Meet the heartbeat of Tunbridge Wells
In our People of Tunbridge Wells series, we highlight the incredible individuals who make this charming corner of Kent such a special place. From local artisans and business owners to community leaders and passionate residents, these people are the lifeblood of our vibrant community. Discover their stories, learn about their passions, and see how they contribute to the unique character of Tunbridge Wells.
1. Can you tell us about your background and how you got into painting.
“I always had from a very early age, the ability to look at a scene/image and put it down on paper and later in oils onto canvas. My first oil painting was in 1978 when I was 18 and from then a ‘plein air’ painter, hiding myself away in a corner of a field somewhere in Kent hoping no-one would notice me. As the years went by and my confidence grew, I would paint in built-up areas, painting street scenes and churches in the many beautiful villages that are in abundance in the South East.”
2. How has living and working in Tunbridge Wells influenced your artistic style and subject matter?
“In Royal Tunbridge Wells there is the spectacular Regency architecture of the famous Pantiles area, situated just past the High Street on the southern side of the town. I have painted pretty much every angle of this wonderful location down the years and especially as there has been, in recent years, a regeneration of the shops and hotels on the Upper Pantiles which have transformed the place, including a thriving local Tunbridge Wells Art Society which regularly exhibits on the lower Pantiles. I had my own exhibition at the Spa Gallery, Pantiles in 2018.”
“For two years I lived in Sandhurst which is just inside Tunbridge Wells borough boundary. I had a large studio built in my garden, something I’d not had before and as I walked out of my back garden there was nothing but fields, some with sheep in, vineyards and hop fields in front of me for miles…….my next-door neighbour was a windmill. How could I not be influenced by these spectacular surroundings. Most weeks during the summer I would head out of the back gate with my easel and canvas, then paint what was in front of me; including the nearby Scotney Castle and of course that windmill. I now live in Royal Tunbridge Wells town centre close to the Rocks and Linden Park Cricket Ground opposite Mount Ephraim, which I’ve painted a few times. From there it’s a short enjoyable walk to paint the Spa Valley Railway (steam trains a favourite subject of mine), Decimus Burton’s Calverley Park or set up my easel in the many wooded areas that surround the town. I loved painting the magnificent and best bluebell woods I’ve seen, next to the High Rocks Heritage Station.”
3. What are some of the different series you’ve worked on, and what inspires you to create them?
“I’ve had three coffee table art books published. The first was of the River Thames, the second of London and lastly, as I was an official war artist in Afghanistan, a book on my five operational tours in Helmand, Kandahar and Kabul. I took my art materials with me to all these locations whether it was Covent Garden, Richmond or on the hills above Kabul.
In 2013 I was shot and wounded by the Taliban resulting in repatriation back home. I was the only artist privileged to be the Brigade artist on all my Helmand tours, the only civilian wounded in Helmand Province and the only artist awarded an Operational Service Medal, Afghanistan. It took six months to learn how to paint again as the bullet travelled down through my forearm and exited out of my left dominant hand. Only the thumb and forefinger are now back to working order. As I usually stand in a field, Tunbridge Wells or London it was a thrilling experience painting in Afghanistan where my palette colours are so different to the UK.
I used to live in Sydney, Australia and have painted from most varied views of the Harbour bridge, Opera House and the Blue Mountains, all being a most memorable experience. I have also painted in India, Syria, Oman, Jordan, Nepal, Fiji, Far East, NZ and Sri Lanka (the country of my birth) and many places in Europe (Seville and Alhambra being favourites). I had a major exhibition at the Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) in 2010 showing Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, the journey through my paintings, from ‘point of wounding’ to repatriation home for the casualties in Helmand (I was the artist for the RAMC in Camp Bastion hospital on my first tour). The BBC filmed the opening night and the RSM said that over a thousand people a day visited the show.
I was very lucky to have exhibited at the BP Portrait Awards at the National Portrait Gallery, London, have originals at an Oxford University College and University Boat Houses, The National Army Museum, Royal Military Hospital, Chelsea, many military messes and golf clubs in the UK. I have been on the BBC and Sky breakfast news, ITV, the One Show, Channel 5, BBC radio 4, ITV’s ‘War Art’ with Eddie Redmayne and many times on local BBC news. Also, articles include the Big Issue, the Telegraph, the Independent, the Australian and the TW and Kent Couriers.”
4. What are you currently working on, and where can people see your work?
“Recent artworks include a very large painting of HRH Queen Elizabeth II funeral, which now hangs in the Gurkha HQ, Sandhurst. King Charles’ Coronation, the Cenotaph, Whitehall and later this year a painting for the Gurkha Signals with their Colonel in Chief HRH Princess Anne taking the salute at their parade. I can be found setting up my easel in and around Kent or up in London most days.
You can see more of my work at www.graeme-lothian.com.”
Painting in the Tunbridge Wells Common
The Wellington Rocks
A Dancer at the Mela Festival
Painting in the Commons
Refrence Image of a Dancer at the Mela Festival
Painting in Afghanistan
Piccadilly Circus, London
An Operating Theatre During Gareme;’s Military Painting Career
Knole Park
The Queen’s Funeral
London
