David McEwen in his studio.

David McEwen was recently described by Artist International Magazine as a “Master Painter of the World.” He has also been awarded major prizes and was “Runner-up” in The Society of All Artists “Painter of the Year” competition.

He started traditional and classical training in Fine Art (as a precocious brat of 13) under the internationally renowned painter Victor Pasmore at Newcastle University. This led to full-time studies; a Bachelors Degree in Art and Drama; some years as a teacher, then head of an Art Department in Leicestershire; and eventually a Masters Degree in Education.

His work is traditional, with eyes where they are supposed to be and, although he paints horses and dogs, he has yet to cut one up!

Even though David has many years of experience as an Art Teacher in adult education, he is a working painter in Oil, Acrylic, Watercolour, Pastel and Ink. His work has been commissioned by collectors in America, Europe and Australia and he has a number of Fine Art prints published.

He has demonstrated at the Artists & Illustrators Exhibition and for a number of Painting Societies. In France there have been several invitations to exhibit in prestigious group exhibitions and he has had solo exhibitions in Montpellier and Orleans.

Sally McEwen enjoys a glass of wine before taking care of her guests and David's students.

Following an invitation by the Falkland Island Government, David travelled there in February 2001 to paint horses and give a series of demonstrations and both he and Sally returned to the Falkland Islands in October 2002 with an exhibition of his paintings. He would like to record his thanks to the Shackleton Foundation and the Daler-Rowney Company for their generous support.

Sally McEwen is a long-time francophile (her grandmother was French) and a gourmet cook, (the evidence of that is David’s waist measurement is now much higher than his I.Q.) and a riding instructor, Sally sorts out the details, solves problems, cooks wonderful meals … in other words, she’s in charge and does the hard work, while David wanders about getting in the way!

Born in Lincolnshire and from a large farming family, Sally is used to having hoards of people to feed and generally look after. She speaks passable German as well as French and drinks enough red wine to drain half the European wine lake!