Most of the work below comes from two series about two rivers and their environs. Two completely different rivers. The reliefs concern the River Severn at Awre in the Forest of Dean, it is tidal, wide, and full of sparkling sandbanks and mud.
The shaped two dimensional pieces are from the River Leadon near the village of Pauntley also in West Gloucestershire. The Leadon is narrow, mostly clear and often hidden by foliage.
The sculpture, or three dimensional paintings, concern other aspects of landscape.
I make art to stop things disappearing.
Paul Aston, born 1948
Throughout my working life I have acknowledged the place of my birth in the village of Awre, on the River Severn in the Forest of Dean, West Gloucestershire.
My current studio is geographically close, in the Forest. I came back, which was not intentional.
At Gloucester City Art College from 1964-67, I spent the majority of my time drawing and painting in the life studios. The current Pop Art movement was an early influence; pure, flat colour and uncompromising imagery was electric at the time. I can still see it in the work I’m doing now. The resulting collection of work secured a place at Leicester College of Art (bypassing the academic qualification system which I couldn’t get right) where I continued painting and drawing for a further three years. I was awarded a First Class Degree and a travel scholarship to Italy. I owe a lot to Albert Pountney, Head of the Fine Art Faculty at Leicester, for getting me those three years in spite of the prevailing system.
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