THE WEY GALLERY |  Keith Coomber

Keith Coomber grew up in London and has had a varied career path including serving in the military and now lives with his wife in Guildford. After many years of intermittent painting and drawing, which included small successes in galleries and craft venues locally, Keith has now decided to focus much more on his enjoyment of painting whenever he can. 

Still juggling a day job that he describes as 'interfering with his painting' (tongue firmly in cheek) he now works from his own studio at his home.

Keith is a member of the Guildford Art Society and although mainly studio based, Keith does paint plein-air when he can and recently enjoyed some wonderful painting sessions in the Loire Valley, France.  This has led to further studio work but mainly water colours of the region, which were quickly snapped up on his return by family and friends!

Keith’s influences are varied and come from all sorts of sources, but it is the outdoors where his true affinity lies.  Fascinated by how the light of the morning and evening sun pierces tree lines and forests in so many ways, a lot of his work emulates this.  Having spent a lot of his youth under canvas in Surrey and now living here, Keith feels drawn to the open spaces as well as the many forests and woods in the South East.  Awakening at dawn from a tent to see the light and shadows, has left a lasting impression on him, which he likes to capture on canvas in real life painting sessions as well his memories created in his studio.  Keith also takes many photos for reference and combines all he can to produce pieces that convey the sheer beauty of nature, hoping to draw the viewer into the picture itself, evoking the emotions one would feel being there.

With his wife and her families’ links to the sea and sailing, as well as his love of the sea himself, but usually from under it as a scuba diver, Keith also likes to paint the racing yachts from the east coast where his wife Clare grew up.  Very loose and dynamic in style, he enjoys portraying the speed and power of the yachts as they battle it out for the finish line.