Between 1959 and 1963 Arthur attended the Camberwell School of Art, London, where in 1963 won the Anna Berry Student of the Year Award. Up until 1983, although Arthur Maderson continued to paint, he destroyed all his work. In the early eighties however he began to hold major one-man exhibitions throughout the UK and Ireland, and even in the continent. His works have also been displayed in major mixed exhibitions as far away as San Francisco. In 1987 Arthur was awarded the Royal West of England Academy Cornelissen Award for Most Distinguished Painting.

 

Maderson's main concern is with the painting of light. He has adopted some of the principles of the French Impressionists, using broken brushstrokes of thickly applied paint to create deep harmonies and vibrant juxtapositions of colour. Like Monet for example, Maderson sees as much colour in shadows as in bright sunlight. Maderson ignores superficial detail and concentrates on relationships of tone and colour in evoking the striking effects of sunlight.

The tonal distribution of light and shade is vital in creating the illusion of reality in a painting. It turns the flat, two-dimensional surface of canvas or paper into a three-dimensional world of depth, space and light.

Arthur Maderson has written numerous articles for magazines. More recently he was a major contributor to an authoritative bock on painting by Jeremy Calton, 'The Encyclopedia of Oil Painting Techniques'. Other books include 'Light' by Lucy Willis, and 'Modern 011 Impressionists' by Ron Ranson, where he was included in a list of seventeen of the worlds most successful and popular figurative painters. There are now plans to publish a number of new books which will include his Irish paintings, in particular the Lismore River Pool and Tallow Horse Fair series. Arthur and his paintings have been featured on television in the UK and also on RTE's The Pure Drop'. Recently his work appeared in a new magazine 'International Artist' where he was one of only eight European artists featured in 'Modern Master Painters of the World' .

Quotes by Arthur Maderson: