GALLERY: Art runs in the Romeril family

Tuesday 30 November 2021

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Seascapes, bronze chess pieces and colourful abstract paintings all mingle in an exhibition that brings together the diverse work of three generation of artists from the same family.

Viewers of ‘Les Charrieres' can enjoy the work local artist Nicholas Romeril, his twin sons Danny and William, and his father, Philip, at Private and Public gallery.

The title of the exhibition was inspired by the name of the property Nick has lived in and worked for many years.

Pictured: Nick's father, Philip Romeril, was a cattleman and keen amateur artist.

Nick’s artistic journey was heavily influenced by his father who was himself born in an old Jersey farming family who lived and farmed in St. John since 1763.

Passionate about his work, Philip knew all his cows by name and was the president of the St. John Agricultural Society before being selected as the president of the RJHA&S in 1983.

As Nick explained, he was also a keen amateur artist who would turn to painting during the winter months, when he would transform a corner of the farm’s kitchen into an art studio.

Video: Gallery Director Chris Clifford discusses the Romeril's family exhibition with Nick.

Between his father’s oil paintings and his mum’s, Daphne, crocheting and doing other crafty work, it’s no surprise that Nick got the creative bug and started painting fields, people and of course, cows. 

When he had to decide whether to “to take on a profitable farm or become an artist”, Philip gave Nick an important piece of advice he has lived by ever since.  

“My father told me ‘you have to do what you are passionate about, do not do something you are going to regret’,” Nick said. “I have used that as a bit of motto, I try not to do things I will regret. He really encouraged me.” 

When Nick’s sons were born, he decided to follow his father’s philosophy. “He said ‘do what you want do to’, so I never said no to my children,” Nick said.

“My dad would be super proud that from his confidence in me in some respect I have manage to make a career out of being an artist and my sons are making a career out of it as well.” 

Pictured: Nick said his father would be "super proud" to see the exhibition. 

Now 25, the twins were both influenced by the creative streak that runs in the Romeril family, but they each followed a different journey. Whilst Danny picked up brushes like his father, Will only works in 3D.

“Art was always around when we were kids,” Danny explained. “Dad would always give us sketchbooks or art-based presents, it was always something he encouraged us to do.”

Will added: “We had free reign of the studio. We tried etching, plaster casts and other things.”

Pictured: Danny picked up brushes like his father but prefers a form of abstract language in his work.

While Danny said it was “never really a big surprise” when both him and his brother started an artistic career, Will originally wanted to be an archaeologist. Whilst waiting to re-sit his A-levels, he however went on an art foundation course and found his calling. 

“I made a ring with Glyn Burton and I decided I would make stuff instead of digging stuff up,” he explained. “I had always been interested in objects and I just dropped what I was doing. I just had a connection with the process and I never looked back."

Meanwhile, Danny started out with an interest with photography before choosing painting as his practice. “I did art for A-levels but I was mostly drawing,” he said. “During my foundation course I started painting and I have not stopped since.  I had never put time and effort in painting until 2015, that’s when I started painting with some form of vigor. 

“I had just never really done it, and never spent any time investing in it. When I started learning a lot more about 20th century French painters, modernism and fauvism, I found it every exciting rather than the National Gallery type of stuff which I didn’t really see freedom in, although I really like it now.”

Pictured: Will discovered his path after making a ring during an art foundation course.

From abstract collaging he made as an “antsy” teenager, Danny went on to paint “anything to do with music”, from musical people to jazz bands, made-up album covers and sound systems. 

“I am always learning how to paint, and I still am,” he said. “I am a bit restless, it’s just a way of exploring image making and keeping it fresh for myself. It’s about making a language of paintings and using a language to paint whatever you want.” 

Meanwhile, Will soon decided he wanted to do more than jewellery and turn to “bigger stuff”.

“When I finished my degree, I made a very complex pencil sharpener and I quite liked that,” he explained.  “I started making things with an interesting use. I have always been interested in how things are used and how we use things.”

Since lockdown, Will has also been interested about time and the passage of time, which prompted him to create pieces about time without making a clock. He has therefore made an incense and oil burner, and a movable sundial, among others. 

Pictured: Will's chess set was made out of bronze and steel.

In the exhibition, he is also presenting a unique chess set made out of bronze and steel. “I had some modelling wax, I picked it up and started messing around with it and made some hands,” he explained. “I realised it kind of looked like chess pieces.”

While the family often discusses their work, Danny says they don’t like to critique each other’s creations, “it’s show do not tell” as he explained. As Will and Nick live in the same house and their studios are only separated by a garden, he says they talk through ideas very often.  

“It’s handy that dad was a tutor for several years,” he said. 

This is the first time the twins have shown their work together alongside their dad’s but the family has been talking about it “for years” as Will said. It became a reality earlier this year under the encouragements of Gallery Director, Chris Clifford, who has been working with Nick for the last few years. 

Pictured: "There are some nice conversations between their pieces and mine," Nick said.

“It’s just actually nice to see our stuff together,” Will said.

“It’s fantastic,” Nick said. “It’s really lovely to see our work together, I really like the juxtaposition of the work we hung. There are some nice conversations between their pieces and mine.

“My father would be very proud. It makes me very proud to see it, it makes me think I am not an idiot telling my kids, ‘Go and do art if you want.'”

GALLERY...