Rupert was educated at Bedales School, Hampshire where he gained the art scholarship before proceeding to University College London to read Architectural Studies at the Bartlett. This was a broad course made up of History of Art and Architecture, with time divided between the History of Art department and the Slade School of Fine Art. Rupert specialised in the ‘Methods and Materials of Artists’ programme, where investigations were made into the techniques used by classical artists and the conservation and restoration of easel paintings was undertaken. This complimented the rest of Rupert’s course at the Slade where he had the freedom and tools to paint and sculpt. Throughout university Rupert attended the Prince’s Drawing School where he developed a strong understanding of drawing and the sculptural form.

Since graduating with a 2.1 Rupert has travelled extensively in Europe, North Africa and New York, he has kept constant sketch books recording his time abroad. As a member of the Young Georgian Society he has also had the experience of teaching for the first time. Encouraging local school children to observe and engage with their surroundings, in particular London’s Georgian architecture.

Rupert’s main studio is in Hampshire, by the foot of the South Downs where he has lived all his life. Walking or riding out everyday has provided Rupert with the peace and inspiration needed to create works that the viewer can connect with personally. He achieves this through using an intuitive, loose painterly style set within simple compositional frameworks. Using oil paints laid on with coarse brushes and worked into each other creating both the smooth and heavier impasto areas also allowing texture from behind the painted surface to shine through. Dynamic contrast helps to enrich the simple compositions where, mirror like water is overshadowed by scudding weather-laden clouds. The theme is straightforward yet moving.

His latest paintings, still inspired by the countryside he knows and loves, have more reference points. He has moved on from the abstracted landscapes that have been his focus for the past twelve months. Rupert’s own personal connection with the landscape is now more evident than ever. The beauty he captures in his work has a more real sense of time and place - we the viewer are invited to experience the landscape. One can almost feel the wind blowing through the trees and the chill in the air. With this new group of paintings Rupert is showing yet more skill and talent – he is truly an artist of great skill and sophistication.

Rupert still prefers to work eclectically and across disciplines. He maintains that this helps to sustain the creative process and believes strongly that achievements in one discipline often feed into another. Rupert has recently been awarded a place at the prestigious University of Zurich to complete a one year MA course in Landscape Architecture.
“Traditionally the criteria of landscape beauty has been established by critics and artists - repetition, sequence, balance of harmony and contrast. However, landscape architects no longer turn to the picturesque. There are the concerns of ecology and conservation and environment. Also 'sensible nature' has ceased to satisfy our imaginations as painters. The MA is about trying to give vividness to a thought or event or relationship. Landscape, a background placing, shared reality, underscores not only our identity and presence, but also our history.” 

Rupert Muldoon, October 2007

The University of Zurich campus is located on the Rhine Delta as it flows from the mountains into Lake Constance. The cool colours and scenery reminiscent of Dutch landscape paintings have already excited Rupert’s artistic sensibilities. As soon as he has settled into his new surroundings he plans to work on some new paintings inspired by this breathtaking scenery.