Colin Slee is originally from Torquay in Devon. After attending Newton Abbot College of Art, he worked as a graphic designer in Exeter and Bristol before running his own design studio. In 1996 he moved to Suffolk with his wife to work full time as an artist, and his work has since featured in a range of group and one-man exhibitions.
Colin is drawn to the constantly changing landscape. He paints large expanses of water such as seas and estuaries, along with open spaces, skies and forests, using acrylics, charcoal and pastels to create atmospheric pieces that draw an emotional response from the viewer.
I have known Colin and his wife Sue for a few years now, and we had been saying for a long time that Colin should come to the studio for a portrait. As with many plans, timing kept getting in the way. When I was free, Colin wasn’t, or the other way round. Finally, just last month, we managed to sort something out.
To me, with his distinctive character and quiet, unassuming intelligence, Colin is a true artist, with none of the false arrogance that others in this line of work sometimes carry. He strikes me as open, honest and genuinely enthused by art.
I enjoy the job that bit more when clients are friendly and engaging, and talking to Colin in the studio was a real pleasure. He was clearly comfortable in front of the camera, which made the portrait I was after easy to achieve. In fact, I got four.
I set the studio up before Colin arrived, as I knew how I wanted to light him. That kept the session short, just half an hour. The fact that Colin is such a distinguished-looking gentleman with a charming manner helped too, and the time flew by.
We were both very happy with the resulting portraits, and I would love to have Colin in the studio again. Perhaps next time it won’t take us years to arrange.
If you would like to see more of Colin Slee’s work, have a look at the Rye Art Gallery.
