James Lester

After moving to Devon, I continued to exhibit in the London Galleries and then for ten years ran an art gallery at Otterton Mill in East Devon, which provided an outlet for much of my work and was the source of many commissions, including a number of portrait commissions. I have also run many popular painting courses.

I have had a long standing interest in plants and the beauty of their structure and this interest led to commissions for botantical studies and election to the Society of Botanical Artists in 1986. Since then I have exhibited each year at the Society's Annual Exhibition in Westminster. I am also co-author of an illustrated book on botanical painting, "Painting the Secret World of Nature", published by Search Press.

I have a particular fondness for figure painting and drawing. This work has been produced purely for my own satisfaction in a search to refine and develop new creative solutions. Due to this approach I feel they are some of my best work.

My work is in many private collections in the UK and in recent years has been included in exhibitions in Vienna, Sweden and Cardiff. In the South West my paintings have been included for exhibition at the Royal West of England Academy in Bristol. In 2002 I had a solo exhibition of work at the Otterton Mill Centre Gallery and since the foundation of the South West Academy of Fine and Applied Arts in 2000, each year my work has been included in the Academy's Summer Exhibition. I was elected as an academician of the South West Academy in 2004.

I am an Academician of The South West Academy of Fine and Applied Arts and a member of The Society of Botanical Artists.

I worked in London for over twenty five years as art director in advertising and publishing and throughout this time I was regularly painting and showing my work in the London exhibitions. I exhibited paintings in the major exhibitions, including The Royal Society of British Arts, The Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolour, The New English Art Society, The City of London Exhibition and The Royal Academy. My first solo exhibition was held at the Tenterdon Art Centre in Kent.