Kenneth Hodgson
Wallasey, Merseyside, United Kingdom
Thank you for taking the time to peruse NAPA's website. Hear is a little about myself. I was born in Old Swan, Liverpool in 1936. Although I was always keen on art, and now wish that I had followed my desire to be a commercial artist. I entered a safe job as a shipping clerk. I was advised that art would never make me a decent living! So I was put off my stride by the old concept that there’s no money in art – except when you’re dead!
The result was that I did not commence to paint seriously until I was in my early forties. When challenged by friend “Ken you can draw well, why not paint?” This challenge I took up and I started by painting using the traditional mediums of oil and watercolour. After some years I was introduced to the vibrancy and richness of the acrylic medium, when I became friends with a fellow painter when completing two art courses, whilst doing my Bachelor of Arts degree with the Open University. My interest in acrylics continued.
Further enthusiasm for this medium was stirred by Wirral Society of Arts lectures held at the Williamson Art Gallery and Museum, Wirral: especially from a Nicholas Horsfield and a Mike Fenner. Eventually all this led to the development of the National Acrylic Painters’ Association (NAPA) in August 1985. Our first exhibition was held in the Wirral in November of 1985, supported by several friends. Adrian Henri - acclaimed painter and poet - in the following year became NAPA's First President. Since the inaugural show NAPA has been to many areas of the country, and has attracted world wide interest and membership. In 1995 in conjunction with our present President Alwyn Crawshaw, and a Linda Gunn an American member, NAPA USA was founded, (now known as ISAP). The NAPA Council is very active in ensuring the future and well being of the Association.
When I commenced painting my main focus was on landscape and seascape scenes. Gradually as I moved to using mainly acrylic pigment I was encouraged by another friend to become more adventurous and experimental with the medium. This has resulted in my work moving towards abstraction. For some time now I have been focussed upon producing one-stroke paintings, which are produced by rotating the canvas as the work proceeds and controlling the final composition by choice of layering and colour. The end product has an emotional interpretation, which often has spiritual connections and significance. However, I am at present experimenting other abstract approaches.
Works Exhibited
- View Two Gallery Liverpool, 2009:
- Cat No 41: "Tranquility" 42 x 37
- Cat No 42: "Shalom" 42 x 37
- Cat No 43: "Deep Calls to Deep" 43 x 35
- Cat No 44: "Circular Continuity" 43 x 35
- Cat No 45: "Looking Through a Glass Darkly" 22 x 17
- Obsidian Art, 2008:
- Cat No 39: "Autumnal Splendour"
- Cat No 40: "Awesome, Majestic, Splendour"
Prizewinner: NAPA ADRIAN HENRI AWARD 2008 - Cat No 41: "Just Jazz 2"
- Cat No 42: "Lanyon Quoit, Cornwall"
- The Williamson Art Gallery & Museum, 2004:
- Cat No 96: "Blue Lagoon"
- Cat No 97: "Just Jazz"
- Cat No 98: "Green Pastures"
- Cat No 99: "TCX 993K"
- Cat No 100: "Man of Sorrows!"
- Cat No 101: "Joyfulness"
- The Mariners Gallery, 2003:
- Cat No 40: "The Spirit Within"
- Cat No 41: "Silver and Gold Have I None"
- Cat No 42: "Deep Calls the Deep"
- The Mariners Gallery, 2002:
- Cat No 29: "Born of the Spirit"
- Cat No 30: "Icthus"
- Cat No 31: "Joy"