New Year, New Opportunities

Happy New Year! Thank you to everyone who supported me in 2024, whether that was buying a piece of my art, attending a class or workshop or just sharing words of encouragement.

My art classes start back next week. I teach a range of drawing and painting mediums to people of all abilities including beginners. If you are interested in joining one of my groups, get in touch and I will see if I can fit you in. I also have a drawing workshop coming up at Brampton Museum and Art Gallery on the 1st February which is ideal if you want to learn how to draw or develop an existing skill.

I am nearing the end of a new drawing which is going well and have a new oil painting planned which I’m really looking forward to.

I wish you all an inspiring and creative 2025!

Current Exhibitions

2024 is a busy year for exhibitions it seems.

My painting, 'Flux’ is currently in the Three Counties Open Exhibition at The Burslem School of Art. The show runs until the 24th August.

My drawings, ‘Springfield Brewery’ and ‘Return’ will feature in the ‘Making Marks’ exhibition at Patchings Art Centre in Nottinghamshire. This is a group show with the Birmingham Art Circle and runs until the 29th September.

I will be showing several drawings and paintings in the ‘Cut to the Chase’ exhibition at the Museum of Cannock Chase. This is a joint exhibition with Lisa Henderson and David Gleeson and it will run until the 12th October.

Do pop down and take a look at the work if you can!

Exhibitions

It’s been a busy year so far with plenty of other things planned over the next few months. My exhibition, ‘Quiet Spaces’ was positively received at The New Vic Theatre and I have more shows coming up soon.

My acrylic painting, ‘Outside In’ is currently on display as part of the Summer Exhibition at the RBSA Art Gallery in Birmingham. It features a variety of work by artists from across the UK.

I have three drawings in ’A Fine Line' - the Art of Drawing’, a group show with members of the Society of Graphic Fine Art. The exhibition starts on the 29th June at The Courtney Gallery in Ashbourne. I will be running a drawing workshop there on the 7th July so why not give it a go?

I will be exhibiting a few pieces of work in ‘Cut to the Chase’, an exhibition celebrating the beauty and atmosphere of Cannock Chase Forest. The show starts on the 24th August at The Museum of Cannock Chase and includes work by David Gleeson and Lisa Henderson. I will be running a drawing workshop in connection with the show.

I’m currently working on a commission and also a new urban landscape.

Quiet Spaces

I currently have a solo exhibition at The New Vic Theatre in Newcastle under Lyme. It features a selection of my work, 21 pieces in total, with a mix of urban and natural landscapes. I used to think that these two strands were quite different but really, both are about the power of nature and our relationship with the environment. The abandoned buildings are places that show traces of human activity and in our absence, nature starts to take over. In my natural landscapes you can see evidence of human interaction with the space. None of the pictures however, feature people and this gives the work a quiet and contemplative mood.

The exhibition runs until the 15th June and is free to view. Do pop down and take a look.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

2021 was a busy year as usual. My time was split between working in my studio, exhibiting my art and teaching.

I produced quite a few drawings last year working mostly in either pencils or ink pen and also developed my painting technique. I have started working in oils again which I think has had some impact on my acrylics because my brushwork has slightly changed. My aim is to get better each time and to push myself as an artist. I’m never short of ideas and have plenty of ideas to work through!

I worked on a couple of commissions which I enjoyed and the clients were happy.

Late on in 2021 I became an Associate Member of the Society of Graphic Fine Art (SGFA) who are based in London. This is a good opportunity to work with other artists who enjoy drawing and to exhibit with them. I have also continued to be a member of the Birmingham Art Circle who are supportive and very approachable.

My art classes continue to be popular and I have helped a lot of students develop their work and become more confident. I have run my own workshops as well as some at Bullclough Art School. I also delivered workshops at schools and helped the pupils develop their projects.

My diary for 2022 is starting to fill up and I have plenty of plans for the year. Keep checking my website and social media channels for my updates. Let’s have an inspiring year!

Three Counties Open Exhibition 2021

I’m pleased to announce that my painting ‘Inside Out’ has been selected for the Three Counties Open Exhibition 2021. This normally takes place at Burslem School of Art but this year will take the form of an online exhibition, available to view throughout the summer.

My selected work is based on an abandoned ceramics factory in Middleport, which I discovered during a day of urban exploring with printmaker Jemma Gunning last year.

I’m currently working on a new painting featuring another derelict factory, this one based on the GEC factory in Stafford which was recently demolished. Both pieces form part of a collection of work exploring the decline of industry.

New Work

I’m currently working on a few creative projects and the current lockdown has meant I have spent more time in my studio.

Today I have repaired one of my recent oil paintings, ‘After the Rain”, after it fell off a shelf. This is now fully restored and if anything, looks better than before. I am also working on a new oil painting featuring the GEC Factory that has recently been demolished in Stafford.

I have begun a new ink drawing based on one of the towers at RAF Upper Heyford. I have a new technique I want to try out on this piece which I think will work well.

I’m never bored!

Happy New Year

Nobody needs reminding how difficult 2020 has been. We’ve all found it challenging and have coped in different ways. For me, I have largely shut off the news, spent more time in nature and focused on my art.

Despite all the disruption I have had several very positive moments throughout the year. I won first prize in the RBSA Open Art Competition, had work included in the Broadway Open, the Three Counties Open and the RBSA Prize exhibition. I held an online exhibition with Jemma Gunning and went urban exploring with her to find new subject matter for a third show.

In the Autumn I started working with Bullclough Art School, delivering ink pen and painting workshops. All being well, I will be running several more workshops there next year.

My drawing mostly focused on ink pens this year and I have produced some of my favourite work in this medium. Near the end of the year I started working in oil paints again for the first time in over twenty years and found it enjoyable.

My art classes will resume at the venues as soon as we are able to return. In the meantime I will be teaching online at the start of the year. New students are welcome to join.

Life is never completely bad or good - there’s always a mixture of the two. Challenges will come to us all and we just need to make the most of what we have. I feel next year we will see a gradual transition into a more ‘normal year’ as the vaccines roll out across the UK and I will continue to make more art. I am never bored!

Art Classes back for Autumn 2020

My regular art classes will return in September. The Burntwood classes will be moving to Hammerwich Community Hall for the time being and the Penkridge class will temporarily move to Haughton Village Hall. The other classes will be at Haughton Village Hall as normal. The venues are following current government guidelines around hygiene and social distancing.

Details for the courses can be found on the art classes page of this website.

During lockdown I have been teaching an online art class. Students are given access to art exercises via this website and then receive detailed feedback during each stage of the picture. The exercises cover different abilities and mediums and feedback is given via WhatsApp, email or video calls. I will continue to offer the online art class for the autumn term. Contact me for details.

Broadway Arts Festival 2020

I am happy to announce that my paintings ‘Aonach Mor I’ and ‘Aonach Mor ii’ have been selected for the Broadway Arts Festival Open Exhibition 2020. This year the show will take place online running from the 29th until the 31st December. Work will be available to view and purchase during this period.

These paintings are based on my trip to Scotland where we went up into the mountains. I was taken by the quiet atmosphere and the mist that made everything seem very atmospheric and still. These pieces can be seen in the natural landscapes section of the website.

RBSA Open Exhibition 2020

I was very pleased to hear this week that my painting, ‘Union’, has been selected for the forthcoming Open Exhibition at the RBSA Gallery. This piece depicts RAF Tilstock, an abandoned airbase near Whitechurch. I feel this piece works on various levels, the most obvious of which is a reference to the past, when World War 2 was happening. But it is also about dereliction in the broader sense and looks at how nature reclaims the space as the human made structures slowly fall apart. It is also a study of being in the present moment, in harmony with the landscape.

I am beginning to put together a number of pieces that look at the remains of war and am working in different mediums.

RWA Open Exhibition and Birmingham Art Circle

I was very pleased to find out this week that two of my drawings, ‘The Hidden Tree’ and ‘Opening’ have been selected for the 167 Annual Open Exhibition at the RWA Gallery in Bristol. The show runs from the 29th September to the 1st December. I’m looking forward to seeing the show.

I have four pieces of work in the new Birmingham Art Circle exhibition at The RBSA Gallery in Birmingham. The show runs from the 23rd September until the 5th October. This features my ‘Aonach Mor’ paintings, ‘Renewal’ (painting) and ‘Entrance’ (ink drawing).

My watercolour, ‘Frozen Earth’, features in the new exhibition at The Guildhall Gallery in Stafford which runs until the end of the year.

Three Counties Open Art 2019

I am pleased to announce my ink drawing, ‘Fragments’, has been selected to appear in the Three Counties Open Art 2019. This piece depicts the remains of a World War 2 pillbox found on a beach in Northumberland near Ashington. This large concrete structure cuts a strange silhouette on the landscape and pieces of it can be found strewn across the beach. From a holiday makers point of view it’s an eyesore but on the other hand it’s a fascinating glimpse into history. A number of names have been drawn on the concrete mixing recent history with old. The exhibition runs from the 27th July until the 26th August at The Burslem School of Art.

I am currently preparing for my exhibition with Jemma Gunning which starts in September. The show is also called Fragments which relates to the themes running through both our work (we’re both fascinated by dereliction and abandonment). Whilst selecting work for the show I decided to revisit my painting of RAF Seighford as I had felt for some time that it needed some extra work. The changes I have made are subtle but noticeable and it is now a stronger piece.

I am currently organising giclee prints for some of my work. These will be available from myself and selected galleries. More information on this soon.

New work and exhibitions

At the moment I am working on a numbers of new pieces in preparation for the ‘Fragments’ exhibition in September. The painting i’m working on is looking very promising and could be one of my best pieces of work to date. I also have a large drawing on the go featuring a burnt out factory.

My workshops page has been updated with new events and I plan to do more later in the year.

My students are currently involved in an exhibition at the Ancient High House. It features work from students across my classes and is of a very good standard I think. It runs until the 15th June.

Birmingham Art Circle, exhibitions and new art.

I recently became elected as a member of the Birmingham Art Circle. This is a good opportunity to meet new artists, to share ideas, support one another and to take part in more exhibitions. I’m really happy with the news and am looking forward to working with the group.

My drawing “Springfield Brewery'“ has been delivered to The Guildhall Gallery in Stafford ready for their next exhibition which starts on Friday 3rd May. This is a small but friendly gallery that also provides coffee and cake - well worth a visit if you’re in the area.

I’m currently part way through a new painting and drawing which will be part of the ‘Fragments’ exhibition that I am doing with printmaker Jemma Gunning.

Open Exhibitions

I recently found out that I have had work accepted into two Open Exhibitions.

Firstly, my paintings ‘The Shack’ and ‘XA’ have been accepted in the annual Open All Media Exhibition at the RBSA Gallery in Birmingham. It’s been a while since I entered this show and so I’m looking forward to attending the private view to see the other work and meet the artists.

Secondly my paintings ‘Clearcut’ and ‘Clearcut II’ and my ink drawing ‘Entrance’ have all been accepted into the Open Exhibition at Brampton Museum and Art Gallery. This show has become more popular since the closure of the Shire Hall Gallery and now that the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery no longer run an open competition.

It’s always a pleasure to get into these competitions and it’s impossible to know whether you’ll be successful beforehand. I’m planning on trying the RBA one next.

New Year, New Art

After a relatively quiet December i will be back to my busy creative life working on a number of different projects. Firstly i have an ongoing sketchbook project sharing drawings and ideas with Jo Walton and Karen Wicks which aims to capture the atmosphere of quiet spaces. This may result in an exhibition or further collaborations.

I also have a number of Open Exhibitions that i intend to enter. I did well last year getting work in the New English Art Club (London), RWA Bristol and the Three Counties show in Stoke-on-Trent.

I am also building up a new collection of work based on abandonment and dereliction which will combine both urban and natural landscapes in different media. I’m currently working a lot in ink which i’m enjoying. This work will result in an exhibition with Jemma Gunning, a Bristol based artist and urban explorer.

I will also be busy with my art classes and workshops, details of which are on this website. Lots to do!

The Woodlands

Today I completed my latest commission, “The Woodlands’. This is the largest painting I have done for a while and i’ve enjoyed working on a different scale. My tree paintings are usually set in the Autumn or Winter and so the summer setting was also something a bit unusual for me. The client was very happy and felt that I had captured the spirit of the place. An image of the painting can be found in the Commissions section of this website. Do get in touch if you would be interested in requesting a commission.

I recently provided workshops at Painsley Catholic College in Cheadle for year 11. I taught the pupils how to work with acrylic paint to create urban landscapes. Everyone worked hard and produced some great work. The school was a pleasure to work with and I hope to visit again in the near future. I am happy to take requests from other schools who would like to me to visit.

I am about to start on some new work for an exhibition I have planned for next year. More information on that soon.

Commission and new work

2018 has been a productive year with lots of new work produced and lots of art classes and workshops delivered.

I am currently on the final stages of my latest commission for a client. It is a large acrylic painting featuring a circle of tall trees during the summer. It has been refreshing working on a larger scaled (4 foot by 3) and I feel that during the process my painting technique has become more sophisticated and varied.

After this is completed I have several ideas to pursue. I have a number of images of a collapsed Pill Box found on a beach in Northumberland during Spring this year. This concrete structure stood out starkly against the beach and provided me with a number of interesting compositions. More recently I discovered a derelict World War 2 Airbase not far from Whitchurch. I took a number of photos of the area and have several strong ideas for new work as a result.

The beach images and the airbase images will fit in nicely with the theme I have been developing over the last year which show abandoned spaces with evidence of human intervention.

I will be working on a couple of projects with other artists next year who are also interested in the theme.

RWA Open Exhibition - Success!

I have just found out that my recent painting, ‘XA II’ has made it through the final round of the RWA Open Exhibition. This is the first time I have exhibited there and in fact anywhere in Bristol so it’s nice to be branching out. I’m really pleased with the painting and am looking forward to seeing the other work and meeting the artists.

The RWA Open runs from the 7th October to the 25th November 2018.

I am currently finishing off my current commission and will then be working towards my show next year.