Bob Bernard is a Northern English painter who grew up in Manchester and moved to study fine art at Sheffield’s Psalter Lane site in 1984 and has remained a resident in South Yorkshire to this day.
Recent landscape works are painted from the striking and rugged scenery found in the Peak District. Bob uses oils and pastels, employing expressive mark making and colour to capture the dramatic physical structures of the Peaks, scenery that’s enhanced by the light and hues that the seasons bring, and battered by the ever-changing weather that pushes through these northern landscapes.
He has exhibited at shows locally, nationally and internationally, and is a member of Peak District Artisans.
On a personal note, Bob was diagnosed with Parkinson’s 6 years ago,
‘When diagnosed I had probably had it for some time. It was affecting my work as I was struggling with slowness of movement, stiffness and loss of fine motor control. The medication has helped.
I quickly realised that I needed to ‘own’ my Parkinson’s and allow my work to become more expressive.
So, a positive note, despite Parkinson’s being degenerative, the enforced lifestyle changes have increased the time that I can focus on my own artwork. I am trying to use my Parkinson’s as a positive, as an opportunity to make art.
