Keith James Gardner RCA (1933-2025) - Talacre Beach
An original oil on board by Keith James Gardner RCA depicting Talacre Beach on the North Wales coast, with the distinctive Point of Ayr Lighthouse standing beyond the sands. Painted in 2004, the work combines a recognisable local landmark with the direct, atmospheric handling that became central to Gardner's landscape painting.
The lighthouse is set prominently against an expansive blue and cloud-filled sky, its white tower and red roof forming a crisp focal point above the beach. Small groups of figures are scattered across the sands, giving the composition a sense of scale and summer activity, while vigorously brushed grasses frame the lower corners and lead the eye towards the centre of the scene.
Gardner's treatment is loose and immediate, with visible brushwork across the clouds, beach and vegetation. The Royal Cambrian Academy recorded that he specialised in small oil panels painted on the spot around North Wales and the Wirral, making Talacre Beach particularly characteristic of his mature practice.
Details
Artist: Keith James Gardner RCA (1933-2025)
Title: Talacre Beach
Date: 2004
Medium: Oil
Support: Board
Signature: Titled and signed verso; dated 2004
Artwork: 30 × 40.5 cm (11.8 × 15.9 in)
Frame: 35 × 45 cm (13.8 × 17.7 in)
Condition: The artwork and frame are both in excellent condition.
About the Artist
Keith James Gardner RCA (1933-2025) was born in Liverpool and trained at Liverpool Art School and the Laird School of Art in Birkenhead. He was elected an Associate of the Royal Cambrian Academy in 1977 and became a full Academician in 1983.
Gardner worked as a full-time painter from 1975 to 1985 and then spent thirteen years at the Williamson Art Gallery in Birkenhead. His subjects remained closely tied to Liverpool, the Wirral, North Wales and the coast, including harbour scenes, local architecture, beaches and landscapes.
Royal Cambrian Academy catalogues document his exhibiting career over several decades. In 1978 he showed Boat Re-Building, Birkenhead. His 1981 exhibits included Rhyd-Ddu, Caernarfon Castle, Evening and Central Pier & Beach, Blackpool. The 1989 Summer Exhibition included Walking in the Park and Boats, Heswall, April Afternoon. In 2019 the Royal Cambrian Academy mounted a dedicated retrospective exhibition of Gardner's work at its Conwy gallery.
Details
Artist: Keith James Gardner RCA (1933-2025)
Title: Talacre Beach
Date: 2004
Medium: Oil
Support: Board
Signature: Titled and signed verso; dated 2004
Artwork: 30 × 40.5 cm (11.8 × 15.9 in)
Frame: 35 × 45 cm (13.8 × 17.7 in)
Condition: The artwork and frame are both in excellent condition.
