Chris Dunn

Graduating in 2008 with an illustration degree from Bath Spa University, I began life as a freelance illustrator producing portraits and conceptual illustrations mainly for editorial clients. The commissions were varied in style and content, however, they were not in the traditional watercolour style that I wished to pursue, so I set about entering open competitions that specialised in representational art, preferably with a watercolour bent.

By entering The Sunday Times Watercolour Competition and the old Bath Art Prize (which I won in 2011), I was able to develop my own art and compare it to other contemporary watercolour artists. I pushed my abilities to meet the standard required to gain successful entry to art competitions and found a process that allowed me to paint what was in my mind’s eye. These formative years were crucial in forming the groundwork for my career today.

My ‘big break’ arrived in 2013 with a large commission from Galerie Daniel Maghen, Paris. Until that point I was illustrating for magazines and producing private / gallery commissions while working part-time in a Bath gallery. Galerie DM approached me with an offer to paint a series of watercolours based in The Wind in the Willows universe. Thus began my love affair with all things Ratty, Mole, Badger and Toad.