Patrick Heron was a British abstract artist, born in 1920-1999.

Heron developed his love for

art when in school he visited the National Gallery in London and saw Paul Cezannes work.
Inspired by Cezanne, Heron started painting in a similar post-impressionist style and also
made print designs. After the war, Heron revived his art, visiting George Braques exhibition,
which he was one of his greatest influences (which also included Matisse and Bonnard),
resulting in him beginning to write article about art to the weekly newspaper and exhibiting
his own work in a number of exhibitions, he first being in 1947. He was also inspired by
modern artists confidence, such as the American Abstract Expressionists, whos work he
saw at the Tate Gallery.
Heron continued his writing career, for example writing a catalogue for exhibition of ten
contemporary artists, at Hanover Gallery, London.
In Herons early paintings, he painted many portraits of T.S. Eliot. These developed along the
series with the final portrait painted in cubist style, creating the image from many different
angles. This final portrait was exhibited at the National Gallery.

Many of Herons work was influenced by his surroundings. His family moved around from
London
to Cornwall, which was where Heron created his Garden Paintings. These paintings are
abstract however have a form a reality intertwined into them, using bright colours to portray
the gardens. These paintings were exhibited at the Metavisual Tachiste Abstract in the The
Redfern Gallery.

After the death of his wife, Heron developed a new style of painting, becoming more free in
his work. His paintings also became larger, appearing more quickly painted. Heron painted
simpler subject matter often using shapes such as circles to suggest something in his work.
He used block colours for shapes, which were often very bold, making his work appeared
flatter. Heron continued painting until he died in 1999.