Cyril Reed

The mood of the northern Highlands, affected so much by the ever changing light and weather, provides a wealth of ideas for work. Cyril still values highly the emphasis placed on drawing skills during his time at art college, and much of his work is based upon first-hand sketchbook studies, mostly Highland land and seascapes, though the sketchbook usually travels wherever he goes. These serve to identify important visual elements and are a source of ideas which can be revisited and developed into paintings in a variety of media, but usually acrylics.

Cyril studied at Sunderland College of Art, and graduated from Leeds University Institute of Education in 1964. Following a teaching career of almost thirty years he took early retirement, and moved to Sutherland in 1997.

He has exhibited jointly with his wife Hazel Reed and has taken part in many group shows. In 1983 he was invited to exhibit in the ‘New Drawings‘ exhibition at Rufford Craft Centre, Nottinghamshire, which included pieces by Frank Auerbach, Elizabeth Frink, Roger Hilton, Henry Moore, Victor Newsome, Graham Sutherland and Keith Vaughan.

He is a member of VASu [Visual Arts Sutherland], ESAS [East Sutherland Art Society] and exhibits on a regular basis in the Highlands and beyond. His work is collected both in the UK and abroad.