Sylvia Antonsen

Sylvia Antonsen was a British artist born in Dorset in 1937. She pursued her passion for painting by studying at Bournemouth College of Art and obtaining a National Diploma in Design. Sylvia went on to work as a designer at the Royal School of Needlework and as a visiting lecturer in Drawing and Printed Textiles at Northampton and High Wycombe Schools of Art.

Throughout her career, Sylvia Antonsen maintained a fascination with British landscapes and marine scenes. She often depicted buildings and structures associated with shelter and safety on or near the British coast, seeking out isolated places where she could convey a sense that people have just left. Her subjects included beach huts, boats moored on the shingle, weather-boarded houses, and lighthouses.

Sylvia Antonsen was also interested in the linear qualities of her subjects, drawing inspiration from the boarding on beach huts and wooden boats. She was particularly fond of using white and its many variations to create a focus and balance in her paintings. While her paintings were not overtly textural and painterly, Sylvia created interest through careful buildup of thin glazes over an initial thick layer of paint, resulting in rich effects.

Sylvia Antonsen's Danish heritage was also an influence on her art, and she produced paintings of calm, atmospheric scenes with remote flat landscapes featuring lone boats in uninhabited marshy areas. She drew inspiration from artists such as Edward Hopper and Paul Nash.

Sylvia Antonsen's paintings have enduring appeal and are held in many art collections throughout Europe. In 2004, she was an invited artist at the prestigious Singer Friedlander art exhibition. Sylvia Antonsen's finesse started with the basics; she used only the best quality stretched linen canvas and, after careful preparation, the finest of brushes to create the precise detailing so evident in her paintings.