Noel Betowski was born in Tilbury, Essex. Thurrock Technical College. Foundation Course, Art & Design. The Central School of Art, London. B.A. Fine Art, Painting. London University. Institute of Education. A.T.C.Living in North London. Painting and teaching painting part time at ‘The City Literary Institute’, Holborn, London. Commission for Kinlet Hall School, Bewdley, Worcestershire.Moved to West Cornwall. Painting full time.Gallery/Studio opened in Bread Street, PenzanceCommission of four large canvases for Peter & May Shipping CompanyBegan work on Life Cycle TriptychsZen Garden seriesMoved Studio to Tregonebris. Eden Project series started.Venice series of paintings begun.Returned to and expanded ‘Offspring’ theme following commission.
Betowski’s paintings are on permanent display at many locations, and are in numerous private collections throughout the world.
‘Brytania’ published in Poland. ‘Inner Harmonies’ by D. M. Wild, ‘The Peninsular Voice’ April. ‘St. Ives 1893-1993: Portrait of an Art Colony’ by Marion Whybrow. ‘Noel Betowski’ with contributions from D. Wilkinson & D. Haughton. ‘Through the Canvas’ by Sarah Brittain & Simon Cook. ‘Noel Betowski Illumination’ The Great Atlantic Galleries. ‘Resurgence’ magazine. ‘St Ives 1975—2005: Art Colony in Transition’ Peter Davies. Noel Betowski - Triptych.‘Cornwall Today’ ‘Inside Cornwall’ - various articles. Numerous national and local newspaper articles.
The initial idea for these paintings, was derived from a lino print (Emerging Geometry), conceived while at the Central School of Art, London in 1973 and in part influenced by the American artist Mark Tobey 1890 - 1976.
In 1975 I visited the London studio of David Haughton (1924-91), a wonderful artist and lecturer who inspired me enormously.
A field-trip to St Just in Penwith then followed in 1976 with Haughton and some fellow students, where I embarked on a series of detailed drawings which proved West Cornwall to be the place of inspiration for me. Moving to Penzance in 1987, the work was further enriched by my immediate surroundings.
In 2009 I returned to explore further ideas in a painting (Offspring) I had completed in the mid 80s. Most of these large triptychs are therefore the result of just a few years work in the studios at Tregonebris. This in turn is but a small proportion of my output spanning nearly 40 years.
Noel Betowski
BiographyOut of Nowhere: Recent Paintings by Noel Betowski Royal Cornwall Museum 15th October 2011 - 28th January 2012
19521969—711973—76 1976—77 1977—85
1986 1987 1989 1992 1996 1998 2001 20022004 2009
Selected Publications
198819911994199720012005
200720091982—11
The Royal Academy, ‘Stowells Trophy’. New Grafton Gallery, Barnes, London. —2007National Portrait Gallery. ‘John Player Portrait Award’. Royal Festival Hall, Spirit of London Competition. —1984 The Royal Academy, ‘Summer Show’.Wills Lane Gallery, St. Ives. Mercury Gallery, Cork Street, London. Mall Galleries, Athena Art Awards/Sunday Times Watercolour Competition.Worcester City Art Gallery, ‘Cornish and Contemporary’ (four artists).Crane Kalman Gallery, London.Jablonski Gallery. ‘Six British Landscape Painters’ London W1. Gainsborough’s House, Suffolk, ‘Drawings for All’. Camden Arts Centre, John Constable Landscape Prize Winner, third.Camden Arts Centre, John Constable Landscape Prize Winner, second.Guildford House Gallery, Guildford Borough Council.The Newlyn Art Gallery, Newlyn, Cornwall.The Penwith Gallery, St. Ives, Cornwall. Marsden Fine Art, Dulwich. Islington Art Fair, London. The John Davies Gallery, Glocestershire. Trelyon Gallery, St. Ives. —2003Cadogan Contemporary, London. The Anderson Gallery, Broadway, Worcestershire.Walker Gallery, Harrogate, ‘Six Artists from St. Ives’. —2005 Thomas Henry Fine Art. Kensington Art Fair. The Chapel Gallery, Saltram House, Plymouth. Gallerie Patiserie, Knightsbridge, London.Corman Fine Arts, London. —2004Penhaven Gallery, St. Ives. —2006Hartworks, Dartmouth, Devon.The Hutson Gallery, Sackville Street, London W1.Artifex Gallery, Sutton Coldfield & Birmingham City. ‘Three Cornish Artists’. Highgate Fine Art, London. 1997—Lighthouse Gallery, Penzance & Truro. 2003 —The New Craftsman, St. Ives. 1987—Glasshouse Gallery. 1994—The New Craftsman. 1987—
Salt House Gallery, St. Ives. Cornwall.The New Gallery, London. Woodlands Art Gallery, Blackheath, London.Salt House Gallery, St. Ives. Cornwall.The Square Gallery, Highgate, London. Penlee House Museum, Penzance, Cornwall.Andrew Usiskin Gallery, Hampstead, London. Salt House Gallery, St. Ives. Cornwall.Visions and Journey’s, St Just, Cornwall.Porthmeor Gallery, St. Ives, Cornwall.Porthmeor Gallery, St. Ives, Cornwall.Gallery Tresco, Tresco, The Isles of Scilly.Out of the Blue, Marazion, Cornwall.Trelyon Gallery, St. Ives.The Great Atlantic, St. Just.Grove Contemporary Fine Art, Shrewsbury. Highgate Fine Art, London. Glasshouse Gallery, Truro. Tregonning Fine Art, Ashbourne Gallery, Derbyshire. Artifex Gallery, Birmingham.The Chapel Gallery, Saltram House, Plymouth, Devon.Highgate Fine Art, London. Highgate Fine Art, London.The Great Atlantic Gallery, Falmouth.Primavera, Cambridge.Over the Moon Gallery, St Agnes, Cornwall.Glasshouse Gallery.
Selected Group Exhibitions
197619821983
1985
1986
19871988
1989
19901993
199419951996 1998
199920002001200420062011
One Man Exhibitions
1982
19831984198719881991
19921993199419961997
1998
200020022005200620092010
RoofOil on canvas75 x 90 cm1984
Fosythia VariationOil on canvas75 x 90 cm1984
Out of Nowhere Oil on canvas (4 panels)120 x 120 cm2010
Field SystemOil on canvas (4 panels)51 x 51 cm2011
September SongAcrylic on canvas165 x 315 cm2009
Offspring TriptychOil on canvas165 x 315 cm2009
So Far VariationAcrylic on canvas165 x 315 cm2010
More or Less VariationAcrylic on canvas165 x 315 cm2010
More or LessAcrylic on canvas165 x 315 cm2010
So FarAcrylic on canvas165 x 315 cm2010
OutsideOil on canvas106 x 375 cm2011
Offspring, Offspring Two, Offspring FourOil on canvas106 x 375 cm 1986, 2009, 2009
