DON HEYWOOD
Don Heywood made his impact on the art world with his portrait commissions
of famous British people, the most significant being the commission in 1992
of a life-size portrait of Queen Elizabeth II of England.
Don often visited South Africa and was fascinated by the variety and artistry
of traditional dress of black Southern African people. He travelled extensively
in Southern Africa, painting fifty full colour portraits illustrating the
diverse wealth of costume in African cultures, creating a record for posterity
of customs in danger of vanishing under the pressures of rapidly changing
societies. The collection, entitled "Vanishing Faces" is the only
such comprehensive work painted by one artist.
Don also fell in love with wildlife, began painting animals and became involved
in wildlife conservation in South Africa and the US. He painted 12 of the
endangered species studied by the Smithsonian Institute's Conservation and
Research Center for their 25th Anniversary. Limited editions were made from
the originals and proceeds from sales were donated to the Institute. A major
exhibit of the originals was held at Addison/Ripley Gallery in Washington
D.C.
In South Africa, Don was a founder member of the Peace Parks Foundation,
a Patron of Endangered Wildlife Trust and was very committed to Cheetah
Conservation. He published two books featuring his paintings, "Vanishing
Faces" and "Wildlife Portraits", the first copies of which
were accepted by Queen Elizabeth II of England and Prince Philip. "Wildlife
Portraits" was chosen by Hatchards on their 200th Anniversary in 1997
for their list of top ten books representing the best in British Publishing
(The Hatchard Collection).
EXHIBITIONS/GALLERIES
The Royal Academy, London; The Tryon Gallery, London; DM Gallery, London;
Everard Read Gallery, Johannesburg (SA); Addison/Ripley Gallery, Washington
DC; Le Grand Palais, Paris; Sabin Gallery, Mayfair, London; Solomon Gallery,
Dublin.
PORTRAITS COMMISSIONED
H M Queen Elizabeth II; Officers of the Life Guards, Household Cavalry (Buckingham);
Prince Galatzine, (ex-Russia); King Goodwill Zwelithini; The Hambro Banking
family; Michael York; Monseignor Gilbey; Major General Lord Michael Fitzalan
Howard; Wimbledon Champions.
WORKS IN PRIVATE COLLECTIONS
HM Queen Elizabeth II; The Macgillicuddy of the Reeks; James Fairfax; Christopher
Blangey; Cisco Communications; The Officers' Mess, Cumbermere Barracks;
The Castle, Smithsonian Institute, Washington DC; Gustav Zumsteg; Ned Twining;
King Goodwill Zwelithini.
Heywood graduated with a BA in Graphic Design from the Leicester College
of Art, London, in 1966, after which he designed and illustrated books,
and also lectured part time in illustration at the London College of Printing
for three years.
In 1977 he received an honourable
mention by the Société des Artistes Français after
an exhibition in Le Grand Palais Champs Élysées. His work
has been exhibited at the Royal Academy, the Tyron Gallery and the DM
Gallery in London.
As a painter, Heywood is strongly influenced by the American Realism
school, especially the works of Andrew Wyeth, James Bama, Robert Bateman
and a number of the Hyper-Realists. The Dutch and Italian schools of the
16th and 17th centuries also have an impact on him.
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Artist: DONALD HEYWOOD
Title: Cheetah
Size: 45 x 46 cm
Media: Oil
Price: R 18 000 Framed |