Barrington Watson's new art book released

Master Painter Barrington Watson celebrates a milestone of 50 years of drawing with the publication of a new book, Barrington: 50 Years of drawing 1958-2008, depicting more than 200 drawings dating back to 1958.

The drawings, many of which were executed into brilliant paintings like 'Mother and Child' which hangs in the National Gallery, display the full range of Watson's phenomenal talents - figure drawing, portraits, nudes and landscapes. They employ a variety of media from pencil, crayon and conte sketches, through pen and wash drawings, to more complex watercolour studies.

While many of the drawings are to be found in the collection of Watson's Gallery Barrington in St. Andrew, the majority of those displayed in the book are in private collections and, therefore, not normally accessible to the general public. This book provides a unique opportunity for collectors, art lovers, students and the general public to gain an appreciation of Watson's impressive ouvre and explains why he is credited as the person responsible for introducing the academic canons of scale, composition and draughtsmanship to the realist branch of Jamaican mainstream art.

Publication of the book is timely. It comes a few months before Watson celebrates his 80th birthday and precedes a planned Retrospective of the artist's work by the National Gallery in 2011.

Watson, who continues to paint, mentor and teach young artists from his remote Orange Park studios in St Thomas, is a recipient of the Gold Musgrave medal from the Institute of Jamaica and the Order of Jamaica (OJ) in recognition of his achievements.

Book Details: Coffee Table/ Hardcover/ Full Colour/160 pages/200 drawings

Available immediately from: Gallery Barrington; Ian Randle Publishers; leading bookstores and galleries.