Drawing and Painting 

The most commonly asked question is, "what makes a successful painter?" 

Whilst there are many answers to this question, the most common characteristic is the underlying ability to draw. Put simply, most successful artists have learnt to draw and have excellent draughting skills. 

While an artist may not choose to create a work in a totally realist fashion, for reasons of effect or emphasis, this is a matter of choice for the artist who has learnt the basic skills of drawing. For the artist who has not been taught to draw, the full range of expression in creating their artwork is denied to them. The artist who has not acquired this basic skill has dramatically diminished their likely hood of ever achieving a fulfilling and successful career as a full time artist.

It never ceases to amaze me that it has become acceptable in many quarters for artists to be sent off into the world so poorly equipped to practice their craft. Somehow it has become acceptable that the basic skills of still life and life drawing are not regarded as the cornerstone of an artist's career. How can the acquisition of a basic skill be other than essential? One suspects that many teachers of "fine art" cannot draw.

In our view educational institutions teaching "fine art" to committed and enthusiastic people seeking to be full time artists are failing their students badly if drawing is not a compulsory and major stream of their course.

When an artist asks us to exhibit their paintings, we insist on seeing their drawings.

At CWM Galleries we subscribe to the unfashionable view "can't draw, can't paint".

Very occasionally CWM Galleries publishes Limited Editions of work created by our artists. These are reproduced to the highest possible standard that technology allows using the Giclee process on watercolour paper.

A central registry of ownership is maintained for every single reproduction and a Certificate of Autheticity follows the acquisition of each Limited Edition.

All Limited Editions and Fine Art Prints (both paintings and drawings) exhibited by the galleries have been published by and are exclusive to CWM Galleries.