Ian Rawnsley

Ian Rawnsley is a contemporary painter, currently based in mid-Wales whose work explores seascape and landscape through both representational and abstract approaches. His artistic journey began in childhood, fuelled by an early fascination with drawing that later gave way to the more conventional demands of education and professional life. Although art remained a constant interest, it was not until the early 2000's that Rawnsley returned fully to painting and became a full-time, professional artist in 2006.

Over time, he developed a distinctive visual language rooted in his enduring connection to the sea. His current practice focuses on capturing texture, light and atmosphere, working predominantly in oil on cotton panels, across a range of scales from intimate small works to larger-format paintings.

Rawnsley’s work is informed by time spent living and working close to the coast, including on the Irish coastline and then Argyll, experiences that continue to shape his visual memory and emotional response to place. While currently based in Cemmaes, mid Wales, the pull of the sea remains ever present in his work. The western shores - from Cornwall and the Hebridean islands to Scotland’s east coast and the shores of Donegal - provide an enduring source of inspiration, each offering its own light, weather and sense of space.

Influenced by artists such as J.M.W. Turner, Joan Eardley, Kurt Jackson and James McNeill Whistler, Rawnsley seeks to capture not a literal record of place, but an essence - a feeling, a memory, or an emotional response.

Alongside his studio practice, Ian Rawnsley has spent many years designing and delivering creative programmes that use art as a tool for building self-confidence and self-awareness, particularly among young people. He is a passionate advocate for progressive education, placing creativity and the love of learning at the heart of personal development and wellbeing.