About Jonathan Speed

Jonathan Speed is a self-taught painter and photographer based in London.  

His work is inspired by the beauty of the natural environment and provides a unique interpretation of the dynamic relationship between earth, water and sky. His ability to capture the essence and drama of these elements, in particular their reaction to light, captivates the observer.

Working in oil, he produces paintings full of atmosphere and a projection of vast open space. His work features landscapes set at dusk with the setting sun and brooding shadows of mountains as well as energetic seascapes of cresting waves. 

Jonathan excels at capturing the moment, a skill he developed from his passion for photography.   He travels as often as he can to revel in unspoilt, empty landscapes and has a particular passion for depicting the genteel English countryside as well as the raw, untamed continent of Africa. 

Jonathan has been described as ‘a tour-de-force of controlled fine application of colour, vigorous expressionistic highlights and tonal blending’.  His style is of the contemporary English tradition for highly worked canvases and draws inspiration from the works of past masters, such as Turner, Whistler and Courbet, with their skillful use of light and atmospheric qualities.