Chris N Wood
Artform: Designing/Making / Visual Arts
Services: Classes & Workshop – adults / Consultancy & Freelance / Products & Commissions
Address: 60 St Andrews Rd SOUTHSEA Portsmouth Portsmouth Hants
PO5 1EU
Telephone: 07768036268
Chris Wood
LSIAD, PGCE
Chris Wood is a distinguished visual artist and storyteller whose practice is rooted in the power of narrative. A highly skilled draughtsman and painter, Wood’s work sits at the intersection of traditional realism and contemporary interpretation. His career spans decades of professional practice in central London and across the South and East Coasts, encompassing freelance illustration, publishing, and a significant tenure as a senior lecturer and academic leader in both Further and Higher Education.
Academic Background & Career
Wood’s formal training began at the Ipswich School of Art, where he completed a Foundation Course followed by a three-year degree equivalent in Graphic Design (LSIAD). He further refined his craft at UAL Wimbledon College of Art, undertaking postgraduate research specializing in editorial illustration. Later in his career, he returned to academia to complete a PGCE at Portsmouth University. As the founder of the Chris Wood Atelier, he has dedicated 30 years to fostering artistic talent through adult education classes in fine art and life drawing.
The Three Studios
Wood’s tireless creative output is supported by three distinct studio environments that reflect his versatile nature. His primary workspace is located at ArtSpace Portsmouth, where he has been a key member for three decades. This is complemented by a rustic garden studio and workshop in Southsea, which Wood designed and built single-handedly during the Covid-19 lockdown.
His most unique workspace, however, is his floating studio—a classic wooden sailing yacht moored in Chichester Harbour. Having totally restored the vessel himself, Wood uses it as both a studio and a bird-watching hide, providing a constant source of inspiration and a direct connection to the maritime environment.
Artistic Practice & Themes
Working across oil painting, watercolor, and printmaking, Wood explores themes of landscape, weather, and topography. However, his most enduring inspiration is the sea. As an experienced yachtsman, Wood possesses an exhaustive knowledge of competitive sailing, as well as Merchant and Naval vessels. This technical expertise informs the authenticity of his maritime subjects.
Exhibitions & Collections
A versatile and prolific artist, Wood regularly exhibits his drawings and paintings in galleries throughout the coastal regions of the UK. His work is held in numerous private collections across Europe and North America.
Chris Wood is available for commissions in both watercolor and oils, bringing a storyteller’s eye and a sailor’s precision to every piece.