• ‘Reflections Past and Present’ pairs the Impressionistic landscape work of artists William Foreman and Mikhail Tchernega with an iconic private collection of Rodin bronzes  
• This collection of posthumous production works are cast from foundry plasters
• Exhibition - Monday 19^th October – Saturday 14^th November 2009
• ‘Reflections Past and Present’ is to be held at the Hay Hill Gallery, 23 Cork Street, Mayfair

‘Reflections Past and Present’ is a solo exhibition of recent work, by the respected landscape artist William Foreman.  This collection of 20 oil paintings is inspired by Foreman’s love of water, and has been painted ‘en plein air’ on recent trips to the Far East and the South of France.  Foreman is entirely self-taught, whilst serving in the RAF, was encouraged by the Scottish artist, Ian McNab, influenced by the post-impressionists and pointillists; particularly Sisley and Monet. He paints solely with the painting knife, using a limited palette of six colours. He has had regular exhibitions since 1961. He says of beginning to paint, ‘for no particular reason I felt the urge to start painting.’

Based in Scotland he has a house in France, often returning to Provence, the Côte d’Azur, Rouen and Normandy.  His work is widely collected and is represented in private collections in the UK, Europe, the USA, Canada, the Middle East, and the Far East. Collectors include the Sultan of Oman, Prince Adam Czartoryski-Borbon, Michel Roux, and Brian and Anna Haughton of Haughton International Fairs.

While working directly and spontaneously from nature Foreman explores the changing effects of light and weather; as can be seen in ‘Bourdeilles in the Snow’ and ‘Halong Bay’.  His remarkable gift for colour has drawn admiration and praise from the most discerning art collectors around the world and he is well known for his love of reflections of buildings and trees in water.  These techniques are admirably showcased in his recent work in this exhibition including, ‘The Dronne at Brantome', and ‘Harvesting near Mui Ne’.

‘William Foreman is Britain’s foremost painting knife painter. In his work, colour, texture and form used instinctively and authoritatively to convey ambiance whilst transcribing the inherent beauty of nature or the grandeur of architecture.’ Comments Simon Corbin, author and critic.

“Tranquil. Evocative. Emotional. These three words best describe the essential qualities of a Foreman landscape. His images genuinely lift the spirits, fire the imagination and charm the senses. William has a truly rare talent that is keenly appreciated by a growing assembly of international collectors.” Patricia Herrod, collector, mentor and former owner of Bruton Street Gallery.

‘My technique is not unique…an interesting article on the painting knife changed everything for me. The knife is clean and immediate. It is quicker to catch the moment…the spontaneity which enables the painting to seem fresher.’ William Foreman

The Hay Hill Gallery is excited to be able to pair these works inspired by the Post- Impressionists with a private collection of 50 iconic bronzes by Auguste Rodin, posthumously cast from foundry plasters.  This exhibition gives collectors an opportunity to view these works of art as they would have been paired in a 19^th century salon.

For press enquiries, further information and images:

Notes to Editors:

Hay Hill Gallery founded in 1995 as a legal entity, has recently relocated to Cork Street.  The Hay Hill Gallery was founded as a joint venture between the Russian company Art Service Centre Ltd with over nine years experience of the international art scene, and the British company Sirin Ltd. The Hay Hill Gallery continues to introduce modern artists whose work pays homage to academic traditions; and mount exhibitions focussing on sculpture and international art.

William Foreman:

One of the most well-known contemporary landscape painters, who has been exhibiting regularly from 1961, Foreman was entirely self-taught.  He began painting, whilst stationed on Gibraltar in the RAF; he received encouragement from the Scottish artist Ian McNab, who told him he had potential. Foreman with the backing of his wife Lesley resigned from the RAF and began to paint professionally, although he worked on a farm in Cambridgeshire to pay the bills and joined the Cambridgeshire Drawing Society.  His initial works were watercolours, although Foreman was using tubes of watercolour paint as you would oil.  McNab suggested his technique was more suited to oils and he has continued to work in oils to this day.

It was after a successful one man show in Ipswich, that Foreman and his family, (with a son and two daughters by now), decided to become a full time artist and they moved to Aberdeenshire, where they still live.  It was also at this time, that Foreman first started painting in France, at the foot of the Pyrenees.  He continues to return to France two or three times a year to paint.  It was while he was painting in a field, that a Parisian dealer Monsieur Daninos with seven galleries, stopped to see his work, and Foreman subsequently had exhibitions in Paris for the next seven years.  Foreman then introduced himself to the Richmond Gallery on Cork Street, where he stayed for 11 years until it closed.  He was then taken up by Patricia Herrod of Bruton Street Gallery, where he stayed until the gallery closed.

Being self-taught Foreman was constantly visiting galleries, reading books on art and studying other artists’ styles and techniques, and he gravitated towards being influenced by the work of Sisley and Monet.  Foreman, has always used a very limited colour palette, as he feels he can achieve enough variety and freshness with, as can be seen in his work.  The colours he uses include Cadmium Red, Prussian Blue, Coeruleum Blue, Cadmium Yellow, Yellow Ochre and lots of Titanium White.

He has exhibited his works world wide including exhibitions in galleries in Chicago, New York, Palm Beach USA and France.  His Paintings are to be found in many private collections in the United Kingdom, Europe, the United States of America, Canada, the Middle East, Singapore, the Far East, Republic of Trinidad & Tobago and Japan.

Exhibitions:
1961 First Exhibition at Calpe Institute, Gibraltar
1963 Became member of Cambridge Drawing Society
1965 Paintings accepted for the British Arts council Exhibition
1966 Exhibition at the King Street Gallery, Cambridge
1971 Galerie Daninos in Paris started exhibiting his work on a permanent basis in the following Paris Galleries: Galerie Daninos, Galerie Pierre Charron, Galerie Elysée, Galerie Caravelle, Galerie Artissima
1974 One-man Exhibition at Coullomier, outside Paris
1975 One-man Exhibition at Kellie Castle, Arbroath
1976 One-man Exhibition at the Haste Gallery, Ipswich, Suffolk
1978,80 & 81 One-man Exhibitions, Aberdeen
1982 - 1993 Annual One-man Exhibitions at The Richmond Gallery, London
1988 Richmond Gallery, New York
1989 Jonathon Poole Gallery, Woodstock, Oxford
1991 Bodellwydan Castle, Clywd
1994 - 2001 The Bruton Street Gallery, London
2000 Wally Findlay Galleries, Palm Beach, Chicago, East Hampton & New York
2000 Publication of major catalogue raisonné
2001 Wally Findlay One-man Exhibition, New York
2002 The Bruton Street Gallery, London
2003 The Catto Gallery, London
2003 Wally Findlay, New York, Palm Beach
2004 AECC, Aberdeen
2005 Wally Findlay, New York, Palm Beach
2005-2006 The Eaton Gallery, Duke St. St James, London
2007 The Oakham Gallery, Bury Street, St James, London
2007 AECC, Aberdeen
2008 Gallery 27, Cork Street, Mayfair, London

“To know the work of William Foreman is to understand the difference between representation and revelation. Many artists have the ability to represent a landscape to faithfully portray the vision before them, often with photographic clarity. However, few artists are able to include their spiritual and psychological responses to that landscape in that same depiction. Fewer still have the talent necessary to communicate the metaphysical sub text to a wider audience. William Foreman belongs to the select few.” Simon Corbin, Author and Critic.

“William Foreman is an exceptionally gifted painter. His masterly handling of reflections and water reveal the same deep feelings for composition as Sisley and Pissarro. Foreman’s bold luminous landscapes are fresh and uninhabited, yet hark back to the great age of French landscape painting in the 1870’s.” John Molony, Former chief executive of the Federation of British Art.

“We collect traditional British paintings by artists like William Foreman he paints wonderful landscapes in the impressionist style, he works solely with a painting knife, Anna keeps saying to me stop buying, We’ve got enough”. Brian and Anna Haughton, Dealers in antique ceramics, and organizers of Haughton International Art and Antiques Fairs

Mikhail Tchernega:

• Born in the Urals, Northern Russia in 1964. Mikhail attended the college of Art in Ekaterinburg (1979-1983) where he studied Fine Arts, graduating in 1983 with a degree in teaching fine arts.

• He taught Fine Arts in the local primary school (1985).

• Subsequent to military service, he entered the Stroganovka University of Fine and Practical Art in Moscow (1986-1992) graduating in 1992 with a degree in Fine and Practical Art.

He specialises in fine paintings using different techniques and materials, watercolours, oil colours, gouache, acrylic colours, tempera, and product design made from metals. He has knowledge of jewellery design, and the practical works of blacksmithing.

• He exhibited in Moscow and Sokol, also he worked in private decorative interior design firm "Prometey" (1987-1990) as an artist-designer for interiors, decorative art and product design in various metals. He created lead light windows, candle stick holders, decorative gates, garden and indoor furniture.

• In 1992 he emigrated to the United Kingdom where continued to practice his Fine Art. He has exhibited at private exhibitions at Gallery 47 (1994), Heifer Gallery (1994-1996), Pricewaterhouse during the Southwark Festival (1995-1997), Alexandra Gallery (1996-2000).

• From 2006 Mikhail lives and works in Turkey.

• Mikhail's work is in collections in the Urals region, Moscow, United Kingdom, Spain, France, Germany, the USA and Czech Republic.

The exhibition of 2009 of Mikhail Tchernega in the Hay Hill Gallery was supported by MDM Mimarlık Proje Tasarım ve Antika Müzayedecilik Ticaret Ltd (Derinlikler Art Center, Turkey).

This is London, Issue 2765, 2 October 2009, page 17 Auguste Rodin and William Foreman at Hay Hill Gallery A superb collection of some of the most iconic pieces of the famed sculptor Auguste Rodin is currently on exhibition at the Hay Hill Gallery. Among the collection of posthumous casts are such iconic works as The Thinker, The Kiss, Eve, Age of Bronze, Balzac, along with many other well-known sculptures. Auguste Rodin is considered the most important sculpture of western man and the father of modern sculpture. A complex a controversial figure, the subject of literally hundreds of books; still parts of his life are an enigma. One key to Rodin’s life was his  relationship with women: his strong ties to his sister; a life long union with Rose Beuret whom he married only at the end of his life; a heart breaking affair with Camille Claudel along with many liaisons with female artists, models, dancers, and aristocratic personalities are born out in his passionate forms. Juxtaposition to the greatest sculpture artist of the 19th century are the latest impressionistic works of William Foreman a member of Who’s Who in Art, the Dictionary of British Art and  the Dictionary of Scottish Art & Architecture. ‘Reflections Past and Present’ the title of Foreman’s exhibition will be held from 19 October to 14 November 2009. The collection of 20 oil paintings is inspired by his love of water, and has been painted ‘en plein air’ on recent trips to the Far East and the South of France. Foreman was encouraged by the Scottish artist, Ian McNab, influenced by the post-impressionists and pointillists; particularly Sisley and Monet. Hay Hill Gallery, 23 Cork Street, London W1. Tel: 020 7734 7010, www.hayhill.com