MICHAEL CHAPLIN   RWS,  RE,  FRSA

      Millions know Kent artist Michael Chaplin as art expert from the successful television series “Watercolour Challenge”. He featured in almost sixty programmes.

     He is a Member of the Royal Watercolour Society, a past Vice- President of the Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and President of the Royal Tunbridge Wells Art Society.

      His paintings both in oil and watercolour, and his etchings are in Royal, Public and Private collections worldwide, including those of Her Majesty the Queen, Prince & Princess Michael of Kent, Ex-King Constantine of Greece, United Arab Shipping, The Daily Express and many others.

      Michael teaches in Great Britain and Europe and many of his paintings are as a result of his travels. Recently Michael has conducted art trips to France, Greece, Sicily, Tuscany, The Lake District and Norfolk. 2008 sees Luxor in Egypt as a new destination. Details of all his courses can be found on his website: www.mikechaplin.com 

      He was commissioned to produce a series of handling sheets of watercolour techniques for the Tate Gallery to accompany the Thomas Girtin Exhibition (summer 2002) and demonstrated painting techniques during the El Greco Exhibition at the National Gallery (2004).

         2003 saw Michael filming for BBC2 Open University Art History Unit, following in the steps of J M W Turner and re-creating some of his paintings of the Lake District. In 2005 Michael again worked with the Tate Gallery recording audio notes on the Turner exhibits for the acclaimed Turner, Whistler & Monet exhibition.

     In 2007 Mike has made a film of Turner’s working methods using pigments and tools found in the artists studio at his death and now held as part of the Turner bequest at Tate Britain. Michael acknowledges this as an enormous privilege. The video will be an integral part of a permanent exhibition following Turner’s travels & methods. 

       Michael worked with the family of J M W Turner to establish the Turner Award for Watercolour as part of the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition.                                         In 2008 the award will be hosted jointly by the Royal watercolour Society and The  Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolour - London’s top watercolour societies. 

    Visit Michael’s website at www.mikechaplin.com for more information on publications and courses & to contact him via his email.