Biography
Present
A jobbing artist: After about 8 years painting and getting to know something about the art industry, I've had quite a bit of success. Sold lots of paintings, won a few awards, shown work in London exhibitions and had the great pleasure of working with some really nice people on commissions. I've also learnt a huge amount as well. For example, failure is part of success. Not everything has gone to plan and if you get too affected by that, you'll never succeed. Also, happiness is about the day to day life you lead right now, not an achievement for the future. Here's to more learning.
9 April 2015
A new life starts with me giving up full time work and trying to make a living as an artist. We had saved hard for 3 years before being able to make this happen. It was a strange, nervous, but exciting time. Wondering if we could actually make this happen. On a completely different note, I can't believe quite how young I look in this photo!
Present
A jobbing artist: After about 8 years painting and getting to know something about the art industry, I've had quite a bit of success. Sold lots of paintings, won a few awards, shown work in London exhibitions and had the great pleasure of working with some really nice people on commissions. I've also learnt a huge amount as well. For example, failure is part of success. Not everything has gone to plan and if you get too affected by that, you'll never succeed. Also, happiness is about the day to day life you lead right now, not an achievement for the future. Here's to more learning.
9 April 2015
A new life starts with me giving up full time work and trying to make a living as an artist. We had saved hard for 3 years before being able to make this happen. It was a strange, nervous, but exciting time. Wondering if we could actually make this happen. On a completely different note, I can't believe quite how young I look in this photo!
2001 - 2015
General work years: I worked in Customer Services, management and transformation for a total of 14 years. Think rat race, travel, money, late nights, all the usual exciting things associated with working life. I was lucky enough to be relatively successful though, which enabled me and my (ever supportive) wife Carol to save enough money to break free. During these years, I entered many paintings into many exhibitions. I sold most of them, even winning an award or two. Although, I didn't get much time to paint, I was building skills and confidence.
1996 - 2001
For 5 years, I worked as a freelance illustrator doing paintings for various clients on both sides of the Atlantic, including Readers Digest, BBC Wildlife Magazine and New Holland Press. This was a mixed time for me. I loved to paint but was finding the restrictive nature of the work difficult. The client would dictate much (if not all) of the creative process, meaning that there was little for me to do but paint the required image. As a result, I stopped being an illustrator, and got a proper job, after five years.
2001 - 2015
General work years: I worked in Customer Services, management and transformation for a total of 14 years. Think rat race, travel, money, late nights, all the usual exciting things associated with working life. I was lucky enough to be relatively successful though, which enabled me and my (ever supportive) wife Carol to save enough money to break free. During these years, I entered many paintings into many exhibitions. I sold most of them, even winning an award or two. Although, I didn't get much time to paint, I was building skills and confidence.
1996 - 2001
For 5 years, I worked as a freelance illustrator doing paintings for various clients on both sides of the Atlantic, including Readers Digest, BBC Wildlife Magazine and New Holland Press. This was a mixed time for me. I loved to paint but was finding the restrictive nature of the work difficult. The client would dictate much (if not all) of the creative process, meaning that there was little for me to do but paint the required image. As a result, I stopped being an illustrator, and got a proper job, after five years.
1991 - 1996
Over these years, I studied scientific illustration at Southampton Institute and Blackpool and the Fylde College of Art. The image you see on the left was probably the most photographic work I've ever produced. and took weeks of work.
1971 - 1991
Although, I don't think it's fair to say that I started drawing as soon as I was born, it feels that way to me. Art and drawing has always been the main purpose in my life, I have no memory of things being any different. When I was in primary school (the drawing on the right was done when I was about 8) I entered a competition and the teacher was convinced my Mum had done the drawing not me.
1991 - 1996
Over these years, I studied scientific illustration at Southampton Institute and Blackpool and the Fylde College of Art. The image you see on the left was probably the most photographic work I've ever produced. and took weeks of work.
1971 - 1991
Although, I don't think it's fair to say that I started drawing as soon as I was born, it feels that way to me. Art and drawing has always been the main purpose in my life, I have no memory of things being any different. When I was in primary school (the drawing on the right was done when I was about 8) I entered a competition and the teacher was convinced my Mum had done the drawing not me.