The work of Quaker artist Ron Waddams is increasingly well-known in the publishing world. The first exhibition of work by Ron Waddams was held at Jordans Meeting House in May 1997, when he displayed work dating back to 1967; after a career as a graphic designer, he had begun to make artwork about the values and concerns shared among Friends. After the 1997 exhibition, the Larren Art Trust was established to enable others to benefit from the success of his work, and Ron generously donated most of his work to the Trust. The works are reflections on the Quaker faith and practice of caring and living without conflict, and refer to the aims of the United Nations Charter; income from the sale of the works and reproduction is distributed to assist the peace testimony of the Society of Friends and the United Nations Association UK Trust.

By using elements from the near and distant past and fusing them into his individualistic style, Ron Waddams has created a contemporary expression of spiritual and humanitarian concerns. Also evident is his physical pleasure in using few, bold colours and in imposing the discipline of applying them in precisely drawn areas. The artwork lends itself well to reproduction, and in recent years Ron’s work has been included in the prestigious Bridgeman Art Library, a leading source of fine art for image users. This has resulted in use by publishers in Europe and USA to illustrate a wide range of educational and inspirational books.

The trustees of Larren Art have responsibility for most of the artwork produced by Ron Waddams. We now wish to find suitable homes for 70 remaining paintings and are offering them to Friends in return for a small donation to the Larren Art Trust. All our money goes to Quaker Peace Work or to the United Nations Trust, in accordance with Ron’s wishes.

The paintings are in acrylic on hardboard and come in a range of sizes from 61 × 61 cm to 122 × 122cm, square, rectangular, or circular. They are easy to hang. Most are stored at High Wycombe Meeting and can be posted or delivered to the Sheffield area.

www.larrenart.org.uk