Bob Tucker

Bob Tucker was born in Newton Abbot, in South Devon, in 1951 and grew up in Paignton. He lives just outside Okehampton with his wife Joy. Their four children are now grown up with families. 

Drawing and painting were always a passion from as early as his primary school years. His formal art training ended at school, with an A at O-level, having studied the course for just one year. 

Bob started painting full time at the age of 21, from which point he set out to teach himself, benefiting from the advice of other artists. He studied the various methods used by the old masters. Important influences include Turner, Constable and the French Impressionists.

His work shows great skill and attention to detail. They are sensitively painted with subtle a use of colour. His glazing a rich luminosity and magical vibrancy.  

“I’ve been told that the mood of my work seems to change with the passing of the day, as lighting varies, giving the paintings life. A great compliment for me is for someone to look at a painting and say that it is as if they are really there, feeling the breeze on their face, with the scent of the moorland air around them. 

All of my paintings are in oils (except the very earliest examples, which are in acrylics). The technique I use is to start with a single-tone under-painting, usually dark brown. After that coat has dried, I apply full colour as the second coat. Subsequent coats include highlights and thin coloured glazes.

Dartmoor has been the main focus of my work, as well as Devon coastal scenes, although over the years I have painted a variety of subjects (including portraits … even a prize racing pigeon!). I have drawn inspiration from early experiences as a child, such as camping on the moor and regular visits to the sea. I enjoy spending time walking on the moor and along the coast, looking for new ways to capture the atmosphere in my paintings while portraying the features of the landscape accurately – artistic licence notwithstanding! “