I’ve just completed a new oil painting which I’ve called “Burrows”. It is based on an abandoned building I often pass just outside Stafford. Earlier this year I parked up near the building and took a few reference photos to work on back at the studio. I really like the way nature takes over the spaces we leave behind and the contrast between the worn surfaces of the building and the plant life surrounding it. I started this earlier on in the year, put it on hold for a while and then carried on more recently to bring it to completion. Sometimes it’s good to take a break mid way through as it gives you a fresh perspective. You can find ‘Burrows’ in the ‘Abandoned Spaces’ section of the website.
Sandonia III
In 2021 I completed a pencil drawing of the old Sandonia building in Stafford. Since then it has sat in my studio and I almost forgot about it. I looked at it again the other day and decided to work into it some more, adding textures and darker tones to some of the areas. The changes have made it a stronger piece of work and I’m now happy.
The Sandonia is another example of a distinctive building being left to fall apart. Someone at some point began to knock it down but then stopped part way through the job. So we’re now left with a big hole down the side which reveals some of the interior.
Will it be pulled down or repaired? We’ll have to wait and see.
You can view ‘Sandonia III’ in the ‘Abandoned Spaces’ section of this website.
New art, competitions and ideas
As usual, I am busy with a variety of creative projects. I have a new acrylic painting on the go featuring the interior of a derelict ceramics factory that I discovered in Middleport. This is the same building featured in my painting ‘Inside Out’. I’m still experimenting with the graphitint pencils and have a new drawing planned with those. I have more ideas around the abandoned war base theme which look promising too.
There’s a few competitions I will be entering soon. I discovered today that my oil painting, ‘GEC’, has been selected for the Three Counties Open Exhibition 2022 (organised by Arts Keele). The show runs from the 29th July to the 30th August at the Burslem School of Art in Stoke-on-trent. This painting features an abandoned factory in Stafford which has since been demolished. It was a building I was used to seeing throughout my childhood and so it is strange to see it gone.
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!
Retreat
I have just completed a new oil painting which I’ve called ‘Retreat’ (see woodland section). The image is based on a walk I took in a forest near my home just before the current lockdown. Walking in nature has always helped me to calm down, refocus and clear my head and this has be particularly helpful over the last twelve months. As always I aim to capture nature truthfully without adding anything or making it more decorative.
I have enjoyed working in oil paint just lately and my next project will be larger and more ambitious.
After the Rain
I have just completed my first oil painting in a long time. For many years my focus has been on acrylic paint but I felt like revisiting oils again to see how things went. I spent a week responding to a recent visit to the local forest where it was very misty and atmospheric. I took a number of study photos and produced a small painting from one of them which I have titled, ‘After the Rain’. I enjoyed the process and plan to explore this medium further.
'Entrance' wins the Barracks Trust Prize
Today I received the Barracks Trust Prize at the Brampton Museum and Art Gallery Open Art and Craft Exhibition 2019 for my ink drawing “Entrance’. This piece is based on an area at the edge of Cannock Chase, a forest in Staffordshire. I think it’s almost impossible to guess how your work will be received and so it is always a pleasant surprise to win an award. I also have two paintings in the same show, ‘Clearcut’ and ‘Clearcut 2’. The exhibition runs until the 12th May.
Opening
I have just completed a new ink drawing entitled, 'Opening'. This piece is based on a quiet and slightly desolate looking area of Cannock Chase. The dead tree in the foreground is contrasted by the healthy tree just behind it. I like looking at both sides of nature and including both within a scene. The piece was made using fine liner pens and brushed ink.
I plan to use the ink and wash technique with some urban landscape imagery next. I have a few ideas planned for an exhibition next year.
Clearcut
I have just completed another woodland painting which I have called 'Clearcut'. This is part of series of work that looks at the interaction between people and nature. Changes in the urban environment are usually quite apparent but in nature change is not so apparent. Yet in my recent woodland series you can see a direct and dramatic change to the landscape made by people. Upon finding these changes it is noticeable how quiet the forest has become once again with only traces of the interaction left behind. 'Clearcut' can be found in the woodland section this painting.
Last Thursday I enjoyed looking at the current New English Art Club annual exhibition at the Mall Galleries in London. I was pleased to have my painting, 'The Shack' included this year which is a piece that has proved popular with quite a few people.
Entrance
I have just completed a new ink drawing which is part of the new Woodland series that i am working on. It is called 'Entrance' and was created using fine liner pens and water soluble ink. I have worked in this medium in the past but not for some time and have enjoyed the process. The idea was to create an atmospheric drawing that was expressive and also descriptive.
The title refers to being on the edge of the forest but also describes the feeling of moving from one place into another. It's about change, new beginnings and new experiences.
XA II
I have just completed another painting in the new woodland series which is titled 'XA 2'. This is the companion piece to the previous piece although it exists in it's own right. This work looks at the relationship between people and nature and how we leave traces of ourselves behind. Often in nature it is easy to forget that changes are happening but the markings on the tree give evidence of a recent event.
I feel like my new woodland series is amongst my strongest work and look forward to producing a few more. I'm also working on an ink drawing on the theme.
XA
I have just completed another painting which is part of the new woodland collection. This series differs from the previous work in that it looks at the interaction between people and nature. The new painting, 'XA', shows a scene with a spray painted tree indicating a recent interaction. I recently visited a beach in Northumberland where a similar interaction had taken place.
As with my other work this piece also looks at silence and stillness - there is something beyond words that is felt and not spoken and the painting is my way of expressing that.
Renewal
I have recently started looking at the forest once again for inspiration. I enjoyed creating the woodland series three years ago and felt that there was more i could explore. This time around i became interested in the traces people leave behind - cut branches, litter, paint marks etc I found areas where people had recently left their mark - no longer present but traces remain. As well as the man made trails there was also the more natural causes of change - trees broken by wind and storms, creating unusual forms and textures. The forest never stays the same.
Aside from this surface visual level of interest, the new work will also look at themes of stillness and presence - being in the moment without thought, absorbed in the surroundings. The idea is that the paintings capture this feeling as well as documenting the changes of time on a visual level.
The first painting in this series, "Renewal" has just been completed and i am really pleased with how it worked out. I feel it has captured the essence of what i want to convey. This can be viewed in the Woodland section of my website.
Grounded
I’ve just completed a new painting entitled ‘Grounded’. This is based on a derelict World War 2 airbase in Staffordshire and looks at themes of abandonment and solitude. The painting has a softer and more subtle technique which I think helps to create the right mood - one of stillness, calm and introspection. This is a retreat from the overactive mind and the busy routine of daily life. With this view, everything becomes beautiful, interesting or both.