George Rowlett

George Goldie Rowlett (29 June 1941 – 18 June 2026) was a British painter, best known for landscapes created with thick layers of oil paint. He was a student of Frank Auerbach and Euan Uglow and among many awards won the Lynn Painter-Stainers Prize in 2012.

Early life and education George Rowlett was born in Troon, Ayrshire on 29 June 1941. He lived with his mother and her parents in Kilmun until he was ten when he moved with his family to Lincolnshire. Rowlett went to the De Aston Grammar School in Market Rasen.

When Rowlett was seven he created a book of wildflower watercolours. Later, while attending grammar school, he was inspired by reproductions of Vincent van Gogh's work and began experimenting with watercolour and gouache in a similar style.

Rowlett left school at 16 and worked as a forester. During a year of hospital treatment following a motorcycle accident he read van Gogh's letters which inspired him to pursue a career in art. By the age of 19, in 1960, he had saved sufficiently to pay his way on a course at Grimsby School of Art, where he had friends in common with John Hurt. At Grimsby Peter Todd encouraged Rowlett to study in London, to which he moved in 1962, first studying at Camberwell and from 1965 to 1968 at the Royal Academy Schools. His teachers in London included Euan Uglow, Frank Auerbach and Peter Greenham. He won many prizes and awards during the time of his studies. Rowlett also held solo exhibitions internationally in Chicago, Germany and Johannesburg St Andrews University the British Council Cleveland Museum Service Northern Arts Nuffield Foundation

Awards and honours Samuel Jones Fellowship (1965–7) David Murray Travelling Scholarship (1966) Auerbach Criticism Prize (1966) RA Schools Silver Medal for Painting (1967) Landseer Scholarship First Prize (1967) David Murray Travelling Scholarship (1967) Cleveland International Drawing Biennale Third Prize (1981) Oppenheim–John Downes Memorial Trust Award (1984) SEA Major Award (2001) Lynn Painter-Stainers Prize (2012)