I paint and sketch landscapes, people and increasingly flowers. I have been painting seriously since 2001 and had my first commission in January 2014. I have exhibited at Patchings Open exhibition.
When landscape painting I try to look at lighting driven by the weather and use watercolour, inks and acrylic mediums. Flowers are something that started as a response to being locked down, and in these I try to balance accuracy with impression. My figure work has two sources, people watching and regularly attending a life class – which of course had to be stopped during Covid. I find that the life work especially helps with observation and accuracy which crosses over into my landscape painting.
Painting in the open is something that I find both exciting and inspiring; it is the immediacy of the subject right there in front of you that in some way finds itself into the work, it brings freshness and spontaneity. More than that it is the weather that is the real turn on; once you are exposed to the elements you realise that the light and shade is never static, there is a free light show going on most of the time; the challenge is how the mood can be captured.
I also do studio work which can be more considered. In the studio I always use reference material that I have made on site; notebook sketches in various media and photographs I take myself. Above all, when I am working in the studio, I try to remember the mood and emotion that I felt on the spot.
The web-site galleries are my on-line showcase, the blog is a record of my artistic journey. Feel free to use the Contact Me page for sales enquiries and commissions.
Background
I was born in Hull, have a BA from Lancaster, and an MBA from Leeds. In my first job I had some notoriety as the office cartoonist and sold some artwork to an ex colleague in the early 80’s. Despite always taking a sketchbook on holiday I never really did anything about it. In 2001 I received some encouragement whist on holiday at L’Age Baston and afterwards started to paint seriously.
Since July 2013 my occupation is Landscape Painting.