Bruce Yardley

As the son of well-known British artists John and Brenda Yardley the considerable artistic talent of Bruce Yardley comes as no surprise.

Bruce Yardley completed his first oil paintings whilst still at school some twenty-five years ago, but like so many gifted artists, his initial career was not in painting.  He trained as an historian at the universities of Bristol and Oxford, gaining his doctorate in the late 1980′s before joining the wine industry, first in retail, then as a freelance wine-writer.

Yardley’s developing talent was kept for his leisure time for many years, until more steady requests for his work enabled him to turn professional.  He has painted full-time since 1996 and due to natural ability his work has quickly become noticed by leading art dealers and their customers worldwide.  He has recently been elected Associate of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters.

The subject matter of Bruce Yardley’s work is usually drawn from near his home in Surrey.  It includes his family, flower and garden studies and figurative compositions in sociable settings such as parks, pubs, beaches and cafes.

He comments:  “Whenever I have the opportunity to compare a highly finished painting with a briefer study made in preparation – I am thinking particularly of the oil sketches made by Turner, Constable and the early Impressionists, I almost always prefer the fresher, more vital treatment of the sketch.  This has undoubtedly influenced the way I paint.”