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InspirationArt & Culture

Beautiful soft paintings inspired by a record-breaking expedition led by Sir Ranulph Fiennes

Irish figurative artist Nigel Cox grew up on the edge of Dundalk, a small market town in Ireland. After graduating from school he chose to go to college in England. Partly because it seemed somehow more exciting than studying at home. After graduating from Riversdale College in Liverpool he joined the Transglobe Expedition, led by Sir Ranulph Fiennes.

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Overhead view of a person with blonde hair wearing a black jacket, casting a dramatic shadow against a white background

This three-year mission successfully achieved the first circumnavigation of the globe on land, sea and ice via North and South poles along the Greenwich Meridian and changed his life forever. During the expedition, he was at sea, on an ice cap or in some remote location for weeks or months on end. This had a profound affect and the essence of this experience strongly influenced his painting.

Afterwards, he lived in Germany, painting watercolours and oils, exhibiting and undertaking private commissions.He also travelled extensively throughout Europe, spending time in Holland, Spain and Portugal before finally settling in London in 1989. There his work took on a new dimension, incorporating digital illustration. But in 2003 he returned to his most loved medium – oil on linen – and has been exhibiting his photorealistic oil paintings in the UK and Internationally ever since.

Discover more of his stunning work at www.njcox.com.

Via Cross Connect | All images courtesy of the artist

Man in khaki shorts and dark shirt with backpack standing against misty mountainous background, checking a map or document
Solitary figure in light blue jacket and dark trousers wearing a backpack, standing against a neutral grey background with their shadow visible on the ground
Woman wearing white top and black skirt casting a large dark shadow against a light background, viewed from above
Person viewed from behind wearing a black jacket and burgundy trousers, holding a black bag, standing against a grey sky
Man wearing cap and casual clothes sits beneath a mural of large brown and cream wings with a halo, against a grey wall
Person in white coat holding maroon umbrella stands alone against misty grey background
Woman with long dark hair viewed from behind, wearing a navy cardigan, polka dot skirt and boots, carrying a bright pink shoulder bag against a neutral background
Person lying on their back on a grey surface, wearing jeans and a light-coloured shirt, with reddish-brown hair
Woman in jeans and brown shoulder bag standing before a towering tornado-like cloud formation in a barren landscape
A lone figure wearing a rucksack stands facing away towards a distant, hazy cityscape shrouded in mist
Shirtless man performing a handstand whilst holding a bundled sleeping bag above his head against a grey background
Man wearing a beige cap and olive shirt sits crouched against a neutral grey background, holding a cream canvas bag across his shoulder
Woman seen from behind jogging across a white landscape, wearing a grey jacket and carrying a fringed shoulder bag
Woman in a black wide-brimmed hat running across a white background, casting a long shadow beneath her
Woman with platinum blonde hair standing in desert dust carrying a brown leather bag and grey Abercrombie & Fitch tote, with helicopter silhouettes in the background
A person in dark clothing lies prone on ice with a blue helmet, against a cloudy grey sky during an arctic expedition
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