COTSWOLD artist Nick Pike unveils new paintings during the Painswick Art Couture Festival in July.

Striking contemporary art portraits of film and music legends will make an appearance at Nick Pike’s solo exhibition in the ‘Patchwork Mouse’ Art Café during the festival.

Nick previously exhibited portraits of Keith Richards, Sigourney Weaver and Omar Sharif at The OXO Tower in London’s South Bank.

New portraits of Julianne Moore and Bjork will premiere at the new exhibition.

The large canvases are uniquely painted by applying oil paint with sponges to achieve rich textures and stirring movement.

‘I love the fluidity of using sponges- they bring me closer to the canvas, feeling I’m almost sculpting the portraits. Creating softer skin tones and a deeper, thicker consistency than using brushes or palette knives, they’re now my favourite painting tool,’ Nick Pike said.

The art exhibition will also feature a variety of other paintings from Cotswold landscapes to Parisian night café scenes.

The ‘Patchwork Mouse’ Art Café owners John and Kaye strive to find the best contemporary artists from the local area to display artwork at their business.

Nick exhibits nationally, also selling original artwork and limited edition prints via his website. He lives and works from his studio in Painswick.

  •  The exhibition runs from July 12- August 22.
  •  The Painswick Art Couture Festival is on Sunday, July 17