Biography
BA Hons. Fine Art
(Painting) – Cheltenham & Gloucester University
I have drawn all
my life. There is no doubt I was a bit
of a tearaway at school but my pen and paper always served to engage me. I spent most of my early years on a farm in
Northamptonshire where I learned to know and love the countryside.
I left school as
early as I could to become a welder.
Money saved helped me travel extensively throughout the world. My trusted sketchbook in hand, I took in
Papua New Guinea, Africa, Australia, India, Nepal, Hong Kong, China and
Thailand. I did this until I was 24 when
I took the plunge and started my degree in Fine Art.
At college I
painted, painted and painted some more.
In a world dominated by conceptual art I sought to find my own way at
college. This meant hours and hours in a
studio studying techniques of the old masters and further hours spent painting
outdoors in the Cotswolds landscape. I
consider myself largely self-taught.
However during my 20 years within the art world I have met many other
artists who take time to share their vast knowledge with me.
So my style is a
mixture of all that I have learnt plus the hours and hours of work in my study.
My Tutoring
Since 2001 I have
been a tutor at Bosworth Independent College in Northampton. I love working with young people, passing on
some of my knowledge. I also learn so
much from them. My tutoring is part time
to allow me to spend my time painting.
Exhibitions
I have been
fortunate to exhibit at galleries throughout the UK and at noted art fairs such
as the Affordable Art Fair, Art in Action and Childwickbury Art Fair. I hold an exhibition every 5 years where
collectors can buy directly from me.
Please contact me should you wish to be updated on current exhibitions.
Collections and Commissions
My paintings are
held in private, corporate and museum collections throughout the UK and Europe
including the Bank of Austria and the Pomorie Museum, Bulgaria.
For many people
they have a special place, a view that gives them joy and is full of
memories. This is often the starting
point for a discussion on a commission.
People see my art
on show at a gallery, art fair or at my own exhibitions and love it. They say, “Could you paint something special
for me?”
I love painting
commissions. Working with you I can
create a unique painting.
Inspiration
It is hard
sometimes to answer the question “where do you draw your inspiration from?” It would be difficult to write down my
thoughts and feelings concisely – I am truly a painter and not a writer!
I like to
celebrate Northamptonshire, reflecting the beauty of the countryside and my
observations of society today, a portrayal of the real lives lived by so many
people.
My Landscape Paintings
My landscape
paintings are simple observations of the landscape. I try to capture atmosphere, distance, seasons,
light subtle colours, shapes and patters.
And skies…I love big skies under which wild spaces and solitude can be
found in equal measure.
My Figurative Paintings
Here it is almost
as if the work chooses me. As I wander
around urban settings I chance upon characters that have deep and personal
stories to tell. It is these stories I
try to represent in my paintings.
While it seems
oxymoronic to think of visual art as a representation of something invisible, a
whole range of British art includes marginalized, disenfranchised, and often
invisible people, groups and events in our culture.
It is these
stories that draw me. It is these
stories I seek to make real and give voice in paint.
Sometimes the
paintings are not pretty. Sometimes they
may make you want to look away. Please
look. Please hear the stories these
paintings tell.
Portraits
For many years I
avoided completing portraits for people.
For an artist to try and capture the essence of some is a very difficult
thing to do.
People look at my
social paintings and remark that I have done portraits for years. Well this is only true to a certain
extent. The people in my social
paintings can be anonymous to me. Also
they are not paying me and this meant a sense of creative freedom.
However, in truth
I was hiding behind this. I have always
believed to be a true artist you must be able to paint anything. Realistically that includes portraits.