Trevor Jones

Trevor Waugh was born in 1952 and grew up in London. Waugh studied at the Slade School of Fine Art from 1970–74 (BA) under the guidance of Sir William Coldstream who was the Professor of the Slade at that time, Patrick George, Philip Sutton, David Hockney, Euan Uglow and Bernard Cohen. During his time at the Slade, he was invited by Sir William Coldstream and Patrick George to exhibit alongside them at the Collegiate Theatre at University College, London, 1971. Waugh was also a contributor to the Young Contemporaries Exhibition at the Royal Academy in 1972. He obtained a distinction for his post-graduate certificate in illustration, when he studied with Ernest Jones at Croydon College of Art 1978–79. Waugh went on to work successfully as a freelance illustrator for nine years for most of the major publishers including Penguin, Heinemann, Cassell, Collins and the BBC. Returning to Fine Art and Travel, Waugh returned to fine art in 1988 and began traveling extensively in the Middle East- the first visit in 1995 for a month as artist in residence at the Majlis Gallery, Dubai. Several exhibitions and visits since including "The New Orientalist Exhibition" in the Emirates and his paintings can be found in the Royal Collections of Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah. In 1995, he traveled to the USA and resided there for three months to include an exhibition and watercolor classes at Cleveland State Community College, Tennessee. He was also an artist in residence and held an exhibition at the River Gallery in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Waugh visited Morocco in 1977–78 resulting in an exhibition in the UK sponsored by the Moroccan Embassy. Since 1993, he has made frequent visits to Venice for inspiration, resulting in several exhibitions there in the UK, as well as Florence and Rome. France has also featured in Waugh’s traveling schedule, where he ran painting holidays in Provence and the Dordogne and spent some time in the Ardeche, Giverny and Brittany. A painting trip to Oman and a painting trip to Istanbul have also featured.

Painting is an art form that has spanned innumerable cultures, with artists using the medium to tell stories, explore and communicate ideas and express themselves. To bring abstract paintings, landscape paintings, still-life paintings and other original paintings into your home is to celebrate and share in the long tradition of this discipline.

When we look at paintings, particularly those that originated in the past, we learn about history, other cultures and countries of the world. Like every other work of art, paintings — whether they are contemporary creations or works that were made during the 19th century — can often help us clearly see and understand the world around us in a meaningful and interesting way.

Cave walls were the canvases for what were arguably the world’s first landscape paintings, which depict natural scenery through art. Portrait paintings and drawings, which, along with sculpture, were how someone’s appearance was recorded prior to the advent of photography, are at least as old as Ancient Egypt. In the Netherlands, landscapes were a major theme for painters as early as the 1500s. Later, artists in Greece, Rome and elsewhere created vast wall paintings to decorate stately homes, churches and tombs.

Today, creating a wall of art is a wonderful way to enhance your space, showcase beautiful pieces and tie an interior design together.

No matter your preference, whether you favor Post-Impressionist paintings, animal paintings, Surrealism, Pop art or another movement or specific period, arranging art on a blank wall allows you to evoke emotions in a room while also showing off your tastes and interests. A symmetrical wall arrangement may comprise a grid of four to six pieces or, for an odd number of works, a horizontal row. Asymmetrical arrangements, which may be small clusters of art or large, salon-style gallery walls, have a more collected and eclectic feel.

Download the 1stDibs app, which includes a handy “View on Wall” feature that allows you to see how a particular artwork will look on a particular wall, and read about how to arrange wall art. And if you’re searching for the perfect palette for your interior design project, what better place to turn than to the art world’s masters of color? 

On 1stDibs, you’ll find an expansive collection of paintings and other fine art for your home or office. Browse abstract paintings, portrait paintings, paintings by emerging artists and more today.