Michael Embden Landscape painter
I studied graphics and illustration at Brighton College of Art in the 1960's and went on to become a successful freelance illustrator. During the 1970's and 1980's my work appeared in publishing and advertising in Britain, the U.S.A. and Europe, including over one hundred book covers and posters for billboards. During this time I was also commissioned to make a series of paintings for a large format edition of the classic Victorian adventure story 'She' by Rider Haggard, published in 1981. One painting from this project was bought by the Victoria and Albert Museum and others have appeared in numerous illustration annuals and books of fantasy art.During the 1990's I gradually gave up illustration to concentrate on landscape painting. Landscape is my natural subject and has always been a major preoccupation in my work, driven by a passion for the natural world.
Over the years I have developed a style which allows me to explore a strong personal sense of mood and atmosphere through the play of light. I am especially drawn to the quality of light that occurs at the beginning and end of the day; low sun and long shadows that can reveal forms in a poetic, dramatic or dreamlike way.
I work in pure watercolour using no white or body colour, building up many layers of transparent washes to create luminosity and strong tonal contrast.
I am based in Brighton and have made many paintings of the South Downs, my local landscape that continues to inspire me. I find myself increasingly drawn to the wild places of Scotland, Wales and Ireland, whose landscapes provide infinite richness, variety and a more rugged kind of beauty.