Simon Williamson

Digital Artist and Designer

Artist Statement

Digital Art
 
Simon’s digital art images are not created by AI. He feels it's important that the human artist is the one who creates using various digital software to produce the final composition and not Artificial Intelligence. Although AI can be useful for the process of sharpening base photos.
 
Simon when creating his digital art images uses a method of blending, much like musicians blend sound to produce music. Layers of shapes, images and colours are combined to produce the visual composition.
 
Early works were created using Adobe Photoshop before he moved his workflow to Affinity Designer / Photo and Pixelmator Pro
 
You will see from the following pages, that the images are complex in their construction and combine many elements and concepts.
 
Paintings
 
In recent years, Simon has returned to painting, mostly faith related themes. This primarily came about via the creative workshops he ran looking at works from the Methodist Modern Art Collection. He and the group he led were featured in two additions of the MMAC magazine, which also led to a commission to paint the front cover image for the Methodist Prayer Guide (2022-2023) and also membership cards. Many of his works are created as series of themed paintings.
 
His method comprises of first working out the composition using hand sketched ideas based on the theme of the final painting. These are worked up to create a digital line drawing that can be scaled and printed to fit the canvas. Simon prefers to work on primed cotton canvas taped onto a drawing board. The outer edges are masked to retain an unpainted outer edge.
 
Next the lines on the paper print are transferred onto the canvas and enhanced or corrected as needed. Colour washes of diluted acrylic paint are applied prior to the application of opaque paint. Any compositional changes are then made before more detailed work in applied using a long filament fine watercolour brush.
 
 

Education and Biography

Born in Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire, England in the 1960s
 
Arts Foundation at Hull College of Higher Education 1980 to 1981
 
Leeds Polytechnic and gained a BA (Hons.) degree in 3-Dimensional Design. 1982 to 1984
 
Swift Group (Design / Draftsperson) - 1985 to 1986
 
Designer and later Senior Designer for the Counties Furniture Group, a leading UK design organisation, designing school furniture and learning environments. September 1986 to October 2017
 
Self-taught digital artist who uses both 2D and 3D software — from early 1990s to present day. More recently Simon has returned to painting, now working with acrylic paint on canvas. Consisting mostly of faith subjects with a modern twist.
 
Former Chairman and member of the SADAA Art Panel - 2006 to 2018, who operate a contemporary art gallery in Shrewsbury. As Chairman Simon organised and ran the very popular Shropshire Open and Postcards exhibitions.
 
Member of the Design and Artists Copyright Society (DACS) www.dacs.org.uk
 
Simon has now relocated and his studio is in North Yorkshire.
 
 

Exhibitions

Simon’s creative work to date has been exhibited in 3 solo exhibitions and in 58 group exhibitions including venues at the Mall Galleries in London and others in Boston, The Ferens Art Gallery (as part of Hull City of Culture), Ludlow, Shrewsbury and Thirsk.
 
List of Exhibitions.
(scroll to see full list)
 
Faith as Art (CREATION)
Thirsk Methodist Church, Thirsk, UK
29 to 30 July 2023
 
Faith as Art (ADVENT)
Thirsk Methodist Church, Thirsk, UK
1 January 2023
 
Faith as Art (Part of the St. James' Day Art & History event)
Thirsk Methodist Church, Thirsk, UK
23 to 24 July 2022
 
Faith as Art
Thirsk Methodist Church, Thirsk, UK
20 to 21 November 2021
 
Ferens Art Gallery - Open Exhibition, Hull, UK
14 February to 26 April 2020
 
Shropshire Open 2019
Gallery3, The Gateway Centre, Shrewsbury, UK
 
Ferens Art Gallery - Open Exhibition, Hull, UK
2 February to 14 April 2019
 
Some Past and Some Present - 2018
Gallery3, The Gateway Centre, Shrewsbury, UK
 
Shropshire Open 2017
Gallery3, The Gateway Centre, Shrewsbury, UK
 
PostCards 2017
Gallery3, The Gateway Centre, Shrewsbury, UK
 
Ferens Art Gallery 50th Open Exhibition, Hull, UK
21 January to 12 March 2017
 
Shropshire Open - 2016
Gallery3, Shrewsbury, UK
 
Community Art & Photo Exhibition - 2015
English Bridge Workshop, Abbey Foregate,
Shrewsbury, UK
 
The Big Art Show - 2015
The West Midlands Showground,
Shrewsbury, UK
 
Art Panel - 2015
Gallery3, Shrewsbury, UK
 
Shropshire Open - 2015
Gallery3, Shrewsbury, UK
 
Shropshire Open - 2014
Gallery3, Shrewsbury, UK
 
The Big Art Show - 2014
The West Midlands Showground,
Shrewsbury, UK
 
Postcards - Open Exhibition of Affordable ART - 2013
Gallery3, Shrewsbury, UK
 
Art Panel - 2013
Gallery3, Shrewsbury, UK
 
Road to Somewhere - 2013
Solo exhibition of digital art by Simon Williamson.
Gallery3, Shrewsbury, UK
 
Shropshire Open - 2013
Gallery3, Shrewsbury, UK
 
Postcards - 2012
Gallery3, Shrewsbury, UK
 
Shropshire Open - 2012
Gallery3, Shrewsbury, UK
 
Belle Vue Arts Festival - 2011
Belle Vue Methodist Church, Shrewsbury, UK
 
Gallery3 @ Theatre Severn - 2010
Theatre Severn, Frankwell Quay, Shrewsbury, UK
 
Postcards - 2010
Gallery3, Shrewsbury, UK
 
Belle Vue Arts Festival - 2010
The Barnabas Centre, Shrewsbury, UK
 
Behind the Door
(Solo Exhibition) -2009
Gallery3, Shrewsbury, UK
 
Belle Vue Arts Festival -  2009
The Barnabas Centre, Shrewsbury, UK
 
Postcards - 2009
Gallery3, Shrewsbury
 
Shropshire Open Art Exhibition - 2008
Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery, Rowley's House, Shrewsbury, UK
 
Belle Vue and Beyond - 2008
The Barnabas Centre, Shrewsbury, UK
 
SIMON WILLIAMSON
Solo Exhibition of Digital Artwork - 2007
The Assembly Rooms, Ludlow. Shropshire. UK
 
Shropshire Open Print Exhibition - 2006
Gallery3, Shrewsbury, UK
 
Railway Paintings - 2006
English Bridge Workshop, Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury, UK
 
Shropshire Open Arts - 2006
Gallery3, Shrewsbury, UK
 
Exhibition of Printmakers - 2006
The Assembly Rooms, Ludlow, Shropshire, UK
 
World Gone Wrong - Part of Shrewsbury's Summer Season Festival - 2006
English Bridge Workshop, Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury, UK
 
Portrait of Britain - 2006
Gallery3, Shrewsbury, UK
 
Shropshire Open Art Exhibition - 2005
Gallery3, Shrewsbury, UK
 
Summer Exhibition - Part of Shrewsbury's Summer Season - 2005
English Bridge Workshop, Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury, UK
 
MIRROR IMAGE - 2005
Gallery3, Shrewsbury, UK
 
Railway Paintings - 2005
English Bridge Workshop, Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury, UK
 
The Shropshire Open Print Exhibition - 2004
Gallery3 and Shrewsbury & Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery, Baker Street, Shrewsbury, UK
 
The 21st Annual Shropshire Open Art Exhibition -2004
Gallery3, Shrewsbury, UK
 
Design and Artists Copyright Society 20th Anniversary Exhibition 2004
MALL GALLERIES, The Mail, London, UK
 
Christian Aid Art Exhibition - 2004
St. Mary's Church, Shrewsbury, The Natural Health Centre, Radbrook, Shrewsbury, Shrewsbury Abbey, UK
 
Belle Vue Arts Festival - Past & Present Exhibition - 2004
Holy Trinity Church, Belle Vue, Shrewsbury, UK
 
Shropshire Open Arts Exhibition - 2003
Gallery3, Shrewsbury, UK
 
The Battle of Shrewsbury (1403) - 2003
Gallery3, Shrewsbury, UK
 
Shrewsbury Summer Exhibition of Art 2003
Old St. Chad's College Hill, Shrewsbury, UK
 
Christian Aid & Shropshire and Mid Wales Hospice Art Exhibition - 2003
Shrewsbury Prison Visitors Centre, St. Mary’s Church and The Natural Health Centre Shrewsbury, UK
 
Shropshire Open Print Exhibition - 2002
Gallery3, Shrewsbury, UK
 
Shropshire Open Arts Exhibition - 2002
Gallery3, Shrewsbury, UK
 
Computer Generated Exhibition - 2002
Blackfriars Arts Centre, Spain Lane, Boston, UK
 
Abbey Open Photographic Exhibition - 2002
The Abbey, Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury, UK
 
Christian Aid portrait Exhibition - 2002
Victoria Street Gallery, Shrewsbury, UK
 
Shropshire Open Arts Exhibition - 2001
Gallery3, Shrewsbury, UK
 
Shropshire Open Arts Exhibition - 2000
Gallery3, Shrewsbury, UK
 
Shrewsbury Abbey Open Photographic Exhibition - 2000
The Abbey, Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury, UK