Colin Able

Artistic background

I was introduced to art at a very early age by my elder Brother,in between the taunting and the thrashings! haha. He taught me light and shade and the proportions of the human face. We would work mostly in poster paint or coloured inks or both.
Sadly at the age of 16 he was taken from us and I at the age of eleven felt terribly alone and robbed!
I didn't paint again until I met and befriended Robert at secondary school.
We became great friends and he encouraged me to paint again.We used to copy the wonderful artwork in American Marvel comics.I admired and still do those wonderful illustrators!!
He asked me a few years later to accompany him to Art college,but fear and anxiety prevented me going.
We had work displayed at various exhibitions and used to visit galleries etc.in London.

I have sold a lot paintings etc. through the years,nothing major but I have I have exhibited in The Brick Lane gallery London , Franklins Art Gallery Bedford, Krisna gallery,Ankara. Studio Upstairs, Croydon. Fairfield Halls, Croydon. Volcano Gallery,Swansea.The Coffee Tree Swansea. Kingsway centre Swansea. G.S.Artists, Swansea.


I have only entered the art market in recent years although I have painted all my life, selling the odd painting here and there.When people see my paintings in "the flesh" they find them original and exciting and have always told me to take it further.

I suddenly realised I was more talented than I had credited myself with........ though I have been told so all my life that I have talent!

I love portraiture and seem to capture the character of the subject but I also love abstract where you can let your mind run wild! You can experiment with colour, textures patterns, etc. I love to use my fingers as well in an aggressive manner, putting my spirit onto the canvas! To me, colour in art is EVERYTHING! I never use artificial aids, such as projectors or tracing as I regard these methods as ARTLESS...All my portraits and abstracts are painted directly onto the canvas, without any preliminary sketching, thus achieving a spontaneous, fresh and spirited painting!
Instead of writing pages about my self importance, I would rather let my art sell itself! I try to portray the hidden demons within show business personalities. The battle they daily fight against them in their work and private lives.
This battle sadly only too frequently is lost! Many,”The strong ones” survive, but somehow lack the the intensity of those who lose.
Without the troubled dark side,the music is somewhat empty and less effective,as if somehow, we all need to hear and feel this suffering when we listen to their music and watch their performances.
Thus indulging in these beautiful and passionate art forms.
The material things in life although possessed by these people fail to please them and seem to be unimportant or satisfying and cannot save them from the ultimate price they pay for greatness.
I concentrate on the face alone as this is the only unique image we all possess and reflects our personalities and character and to me in portraiture everything else is irrelevant!
This character and personality, I feel, I convey onto my canvases.
I dedicate these portraits to all those who lost the battle.
Elvis, Amy Winehouse, Michael Jackson, Jimi Hendrix, Janice Joplin, Marilyn Monroe, Dylan Thomas, Whitney Houston,Prince…………….the list is endless.
I hope you enjoy my work.
Colin.