I have just completed a new graphitint drawing, titled ‘New Life’. This piece was inspired by a chance encounter with a fallen tree during a walk with the family. My son remarked that he found it interesting how nothing is wasted in nature as the dead tree would become a habitat for new life forms.
I would imagine most people would not find dead trees particularly beautiful but I think when looked at from a certain perspective, they can be as fascinating and decorative as those thriving. When looking at nature I like to look at everything, new and old.
’New Life’ can be viewed in the ‘Woodland’ section of my website.
Serenity
I’ve just completed a new oil painting which I’ve called ‘Serenity’. Over the last two or three years I have felt overwhelmed by the negative and dramatic news stories in the media and I wanted to produce some work that was the antithesis of that, something calm and positive. These quiet moments often get overlooked but when we stop and look more closely, it is possible to find beauty and fascination in the everyday. The new painting can be found in the ‘Small Works’ section of this website.
Hidden
I’ve just completed a new oil painting which I’ve called ‘Hidden’. This one is inspired by a walk on Cannock Chase near the end of last year. I found an area that was supposed to be out of bounds but couldn’t resist ducking under the gap in the fence to see what lay beyond. I came to an area with a steep drop and below I could see the land stretching out draped in a mist. It was an inspiring view and I wanted to respond to it.
i’ve been enjoying working in oil paint again and can see myself working with it as much as acrylics. I have a couple of new projects planned now which will see me returning to the dereliction theme. But even this theme is all about nature - you can’t get away from it!
You can view ‘Hidden’ in the Natural Landscapes’ section of my website.
Broadway Arts Festival 2021
I am pleased to announce my oil painting, ‘After the Rain’, has been selected for the Broadway Arts Festival 2021. This piece depicts an area on Cannock Chase that I discovered on a walk just before the last lockdown. The forest was quiet and the mist made the landscape look very atmospheric. For me, surrounding myself with nature has been a great way of staying calm and focused during a period of unrest.
My work featured in the Broadway Arts Festival last year but this time it will appear in the real world rather than online. I’m looking forward to exhibiting again and meeting the other artists. The show runs from the 4th to the 13th June.
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.
Wandering
I took some time off over Christmas and didn’t make any art near the end of December. After a break I always like to start back with some drawing and have recently created a new piece entitled ‘Wandering’ in pencils.
This drawing is another in a series of work based on Cannock Chase but what attracted me to this scene was the snow that had covered the ground. It made a familiar view look quite different and it was interesting exploring the area from another angle.
Escaping into nature is my way of relaxing and I always feel much better after a walk in the forest. In recent times this has been a welcome retreat away from the drama of the news. I like to just walk about without a destination in mind.
It is important to me to represent nature truthfully without turning the scene into a decorative exercise. I wanted to capture the cold weather and rugged look of the winter landscape.
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.
Boundary
I have just completed a new acrylic painting based on an area of Cannock Chase which i’ve called ‘Boundary’. It is an image inspired by a photograph I took at the beginning of the year but felt relevant to me once the pandemic had hit the UK and we were told to stay at home. During the period before we were allowed to venture beyond the confines of our housing estate I felt very cut off from nature which seemed to be reflected in the large metal barrier in the front of the scene. I do not write diaries or share my personal feelings on social media but this painting is my response to the events that unfolded in 2020. It expresses more than I could put into words.
The Quiet Path
I am currently working across several creative projects. Just recently I have been doing a lot of pen and ink work and have just completed a new drawing in this medium, ‘The Quiet Path’, which can be seen in the ‘Woodland II’ section of this website. This is a small drawing depicting Cannock Chase once again but in many ways it could be from many other forests around the UK. The point of most of my art is always more than what is on the surface and the forest is also an environment to lose yourself in and clear your mind. It’s a great source of inspiration and a very calming influence.
Society of Graphic Fine Art Open Exhibition - Draw 19
I am really pleased to announce that I have been selected to exhibit in the Open Exhibition for the Society of Graphic Fine Art, Draw 19. I created a drawing specifically for this exhibition and took inspiration from a unplanned photoshoot that I did earlier this year on Cannock Chase. My selected drawing, ‘Waiting’, is based on a similar area to my watercolour, ‘Frozen Earth’ and captures a very quiet and frosty scene in the forest. I’m looking forward to seeing the show in London and meeting the other artists.
'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 II and Three Counties Open Art
I have a lot more time to work on my art this year and as a result I have been able to produce more pictures than before. I have been working on an ink drawing and have plans to start working with lino printing.
Today I completed another painting in the current woodland series. This one is 'Clearcut II' which continues on from the previous piece. The series together looks at the relationship between people and nature and the imagery shows natural elements contrasting with the unnatural which creates an interesting narrative. The pieces work individually and also as a set.
I found out this week that my painting, 'The Shack', has been accepted into the Three Counties Open Art' exhibition which is held at The Burslem School of Art. This painting had recently returned from London after it featured in the New English Art Club Annual Exhibition.
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.