Jim Ridout has been a constant exhibitor at Beckstones Art Gallery since he returned to the Lake District from Japan more than twenty years ago and has a large following among our customers. Born in 1946, Jim Ridout took a degree at Oxford before going to Camberwell School of Art to pursue his interest in painting and print-making. Exhibitions of prints and painting followed before an extended trip to Japan. While living in Yokohama, he studied brush drawing and wood-block printing, and exhibited Japanese landscapes.

The directness of the watercolour medium has enabled Jim Ridout to return to a fresh view of the Lake District, where he now lives with his wife and two daughters, one of whom is also an artist. Living in the Lake District, Jim Ridout is close to his subject matter and spends much time outdoors. He has a particular interest in depicting his striking watercolour landscapes under dawn or sunset skies, or in moonlight. Although Jim Ridout left Japan many years ago, one can still discern certain influences that have remained with him. Jim Ridout has a wide interest in the arts, with practical experience of music, film-making and drama. His principal relaxations are  tennis and fell-walking.