Tony Hall is an artist whose practice is rooted in drawing and painting from life. Working across painting, drawing and printmaking, he responds to the world around him, often beginning with an urge rather than a preconceived idea. His immediate surroundings provide a constant source of material, and his work develops through close observation, directness and a willingness to work with whatever medium or method feels right at the time.
Hall’s work often emerges in series, returning to flowers, people, objects and trees. He is particularly drawn to the immediacy of working from life, frequently completing a piece in a single sitting. Whether drawing a sleeping family member, painting a sitter or responding to the light on a tree, he seeks to capture the subject directly, before the moment passes. Alongside his paintings and drawings, he has developed Some Flowers, an ongoing series of digital flower drawings made on his phone, which has been exhibited at Chapel St Arts Centre in Derby.
Hall’s approach is informed by a deep interest in the history of painting, with artists including Velázquez, Piero della Francesca, Chardin, Titian, Philip Guston, Poussin, Avigdor Arikha, Morandi, Gwen John, Manet and Vermeer among his touchstones. Rather than adhering to a fixed palette or technique, he chooses materials according to the demands of each subject.
For Hall, the value of making work lies in the act of looking and responding. He is drawn to art that combines skill, truth and audacity, and hopes his own work might prompt a viewer to pause, look again, or even laugh. His practice remains an ongoing exploration of the everyday, finding significance in the ordinary through the sustained attention of drawing and painting.