Landscape & Seascape Painter

Colin
Carruthers

From the quiet waters of the Charente to the sun-drenched shores of the South—capturing the essence of light, land and sea

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Selected Work

Paintings

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In Bloom Available

In Bloom

80 cm x 60 cm — 2026

Available at The Wykeham Gallery, Stockbridge, Hampshire ↗

Sailing the Riviera Available

Sailing the Riviera

40 cm x 60 vm — 2026

Available at The Wykeham Gallery, Stockbridge, Hampshire ↗

Evening Light, Les Ouillières Available

Evening Light, Les Ouillières

40 cm x 30 cm — 2026

Available at The Wykeham Gallery, Stockbridge, Hampshire ↗

Moored Boats, Port de L'Olivette Available

Moored Boats, Port de L'Olivette

60 cm x 40 cm — 2026

Available at Red Rag Gallery, Bath

Wild Flowers, Coastal Path Available

Wild Flowers, Coastal Path

40 cm x 30 cm — 2026

Available at Red Rag Gallery, Bath

Evening Reflections Available

Evening Reflections

30 cm x 20 cm — 2026

Available at Red Rag Gallery, Bath

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Colin Carruthers

In the Studio

About

The painter

Colin Carruthers is a contemporary landscape painter whose work captures the shifting atmosphere and luminous light of the natural world.

Colin was born in Antrim Town in Northern Ireland where he spent his early childhood. He lived in Germany for a time and at various locations in the U.K., before moving to Birmingham in 1985. Having studied Fine Art at Margaret Street in 1994, he was drawn towards painting and completed a B.A. Honours degree in 1997.

In recent years, Colin has focused particularly on the landscapes of Southern France and has developed a deeply intuitive painting practice shaped by travel, memory and emotional response to place. Drawn to the same regions that inspired artists such as Monet, Cézanne and Matisse, Colin explores the relationship between land, sea and sky, capturing fleeting moments of light and atmosphere. Whether depicting coastal paths, mediterranean pines or quiet harbours, his work seeks to convey the essence of being present in a landscape — the warmth of the sun, the movement of air, and the ever-changing character of nature.

After spending many years based in the U.K., Colin now lives and works from his studio in rural France.

“Expressing nature in my work probably stems from my early childhood experiences of connecting with nature. For me, as a painter, nature can be liberating — and its beauty, a power.”

Practice

How the work is made

Medium & technique

Oils are the primary material — applied thickly, built in layers, and shaped with a palette knife whose marks remain visible in the finished surface. Acrylics and watercolour also feature, each suited to a different speed of thinking.

Subject & place

Coastlines, open countryside, the light of southern France. Colin returns to the same locations at different seasons — the Scottish Western Isles, the wildflower meadows of Wales, the Aleppo pines of Provence — each visit producing work that could not have been made on any other day.

Light & atmosphere

The interplay of light between water and sky is a persistent preoccupation. Shade and luminosity do not decorate a painting — they are its subject. Each canvas is an attempt to capture the emotional charge of a particular moment outdoors.

Exhibitions & Collections

Selected history

Exhibitions

  • 2026
    Anniversary Exhibition No Naked Walls, Surrey
  • 2026
    Christmas Show The Wykeham Gallery, Hampshire
  • 2026
    Summer Show The Wykeham Gallery, Hampshire
  • 2026
    Summer Exhibition Red Rag Gallery, Bath
  • 2026
    Beside the Sea The Albany Gallery, Cardiff
  • 2026
    Three Person Show The Wykeham Gallery, Hampshire
  • 2025
    French Exhibition Red Rag Gallery, Bath
  • 2024
    Reflections of Provence & The Riviera Artifex Gallery, Sutton Coldfield
  • 2023
    Annual Exhibition Royal Cambrian Academy of Art, Conwy
  • 2022
    Annual Exhibition Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, Belfast
  • 2022
    The Essence of Land and Sea Purple Gallery, West Midlands
  • 2021
    Light & Landscape Purple Gallery, West Midlands
  • 2020
    Changing Horizons Purple Gallery, West Midlands
  • 2019
    The Emotion of Landscape Purple Gallery, West Midlands
  • 2018
    An Exhibition of New Paintings Purple Gallery, West Midlands
  • 2017
    Journey Purple Gallery, West Midlands
  • 2015
    Summer Exhibition Red Rag Gallery, Bath
  • 2015
    Prize Exhibition Royal Birmingham Society of Artists, Birmingham
  • 2015
    Here & There....... Purple Gallery, West Midlands
  • 2014
    Impressions of the City of Light - A Stroll Through Paris Courcoux & Courcoux, Hampshire
  • 2013
    From Harris to Mull, The Western Isles Courcoux & Courcoux, Hampshire
  • 2012
    Land, Sea & Sky Purple Gallery, West Midlands
  • 2011
    Beyond the Horizon McAllister Thomas Fine Art, Surrey
  • 2010
    Solo Exhibition The Granary Gallery, Shropshire
  • 2008
    Landscapes, Seascapes & The Test Valley Courcoux & Courcoux, Hampshire
  • 2006
    At the Edges of the Land Purple Gallery, West Midlands

Education

  • 1997
    BA Honours, Fine Art (Class II:i) Birmingham Institute of Fine Art, Margaret Street
  • 1994
    Foundation, Fine Art University of Central England, Birmingham

Public collections

  •  
    Birmingham Heartlands Hospital Permanent collection
  •  
    University of Central England Birmingham
Private collections held in Australia, Canada, Finland, New Zealand, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Get in touch

Enquiries

For studio visits, purchasing enquiries, commissioning a painting, or press and exhibition requests — please use the form or reach out directly.

Colin is based in The Charente region of France and represented by galleries in the UK and France.

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