So, who am I?

A Northampton based artist, I’m mainly self-taught and primarily an oil painter using traditional classical atelier techniques. Portraits and figurative work feature strongly in my art, but my gallery also shows the inspiration I can find in the light, colours and shapes of the landscapes that I encounter. Although I embrace the classical techniques of life drawing and painting, I will use digital media/photographs plus my own imagination to create my own artistic vision. As a contemporary painter, I’m happy using both the traditional or modern whether it’s technique, subject or even an approach.

I am President of the Northampton Town and County Art Society, and I have exhibited extensively within the county and beyond notably at the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists. My work is held in collections outside the UK and I was awarded the Peoples’ Choice Prize at the Alfred East Gallery as part of their Open 13 exhibition in 2013. I am also a regular participant in Northants Open Studios opening up my studio and exhibiting my work.

How did I get here?

In whatever you do, the journey you undertake makes you what you are, and as an artist what you actually create. I am no different. As a child I loved drawing and its tactile mark-making, constantly drawing faces, footballers and rock musicians. Growing up different responsibilities and interests took over, whether it was family, work, playing football or playing guitar in a band. Drawing took a back seat, something I would start doing again but somehow never got round to it. There was a vague notion of becoming an artist but hardly a serious career mission.

Several factors resurrected my interest in art and kick started my desire to become a full time artist. I was influenced in part by my wife who was always able to articulate why she liked certain artists and paintings, and I started to look at other artists in more depth. As my children were growing up they were constantly drawing and this immediately took me back to when I used to draw incessantly as a child. Also a career break gave me the opportunity to finally pursue a career as an artist. All this coupled with constant practice, a consistent application of technique and a passion to improve has taken me this far on my journey.

So here I am, a full time artist and painter!