Often when we visit the homes of our clients, we see the Cotswold paintings of Rupert Aker hanging on the wall. Indeed, some of our team here at Butler Sherborn have also collected his work.
We therefore thought it would be interesting to have a chat with Rupert about his work here in the Cotswolds.
Rupert is based in Painswick on the Cotswold escarpment, where he has a studio gallery in the old public toilets - aptly named ‘The Loovre’. From this base, he ranges widely over the Cotswolds to find suitable locations to paint. He tends to avoid the touristy chocolate-box locations in favour of the more hidden treasures that only the locals know. Exploring the hills and valleys on foot and bicycle, Rupert says:
‘’I aim to express the beauty and drama of landscape around me with fluid strokes of oil paint using a palette knife – whether it be a sense of peace and calm or drama and energy: evening light and shadows in the valley; cow parsley on a wayside verge; a church spire providing a focal point in the landscape… all the features that make the Cotswolds special’’
As Rupert mentions, he paints with a palette knife and hasn’t touched a brush in over 20 years. This gives the paintings an impasto texture and energy, the paint worked whilst wet and often mixed on the canvas to provide, in Rupert’s words, ‘those happy accidents where the paint creates a magic effect you weren’t expecting’’.
Rupert often paints commissioned work for clients, and his paintings are available in a number of galleries including Burford Garden Company in Burford, and Wychwood Art In Deddington. His studio gallery, The Loovre, is open by appointment, but the best place to keep up to date with his paintings is on Instagram @rupertaker or his website rupertaker.com
