An exhibition of over 80 monotype prints, drawings, and oil paintings at the Riverside Gallery.

Nick Bridson Baker was the first artist to exhibit at the Riverside Gallery when it opened 21 years ago in 1997. Now he returns with a one-man show of over 80 monotype one-off prints, paintings and drawings, most of them done since 1997. Almost all are for sale.

Nick was born at Strawberry Hill, Twickenham in 1940. His parents were both artists and some of their work is exhibited here. Nick's father, Leslie Baker, drew cartoons for Punch and other publications from the 1930s until 1947.

In 1956 Nick went to Ealing Art School and in 1958, to the London School of Printing. He worked in London advertising agencies in the 1960s as a visualiser/art director until 1973 when he went freelance as a cartoonist and humorous illustrator, working from a room above 'The Cheshire Cheese' pub in Fleet Street.

Nick drew at the Guinness Trial for The Financial Times in 1990. He has written and illustrated three children's books for Methuen and has also written and illustrated numerous travel articles for The Oldie: including Hong Kong 1996; Orissa, East India 2001 and Nicaragua 1988 (not published). His cartoons and on-the-spot drawings have appeared in Punch, Private Eye, The Spectator, The Oldie, The Financial Times and many other newspapers and magazines across the national press.

Nick now produces one-off monotype prints, drawings, and paintings. He works in his studio-shed at his Twickenham home and also, since 2008, at the untutored Print Workshop at Richmond and Hillcroft Adult Community College (RHACC). He makes larger, colour monotypes on the press there and has exhibited with the RHACC 'Wednesday Printmakers'. There are a number of one-off original monotype prints in this exhibition.

Nick says, 'I draw from memory, imagination and life. For this exhibition I have chosen a mixed selection of work that I hope is amusing, puzzling, surprising or simply fun.'

Is there more to this than playful free-wheeling amusement? Nick's spirit-guide, Tomaso J. Varmegos comments: 'Do not seek for hidden meaning where none exists, rather; enjoy what opens before you.'

More information

• Monday - Friday 9.30am - 6.00pm,
• Saturday 9.30 - 4.00pm.
• Free admission
• Richmond.gov.uk/arts
• 020 8831 6000
• artsinfo@richmondandwandsworth.gov.uk