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.
New Drawing
I’ve just completed a new drawing based on the old stables at the Tanygrisiau Slate Mine in North Wales. The drawing was done in fine line ink pens and the washes with quink ink and watercolour. Last year I visited the area to explore the caverns and found the surrounding landscape just as fascinating. I liked the misty hills, large heaps of slate and the derelict buildings in the area; the remains of what was once a thriving industry. You can see ‘Old Stables’ in the Slate Caverns section of my website.
Cathedral Cavern
I have just completed a new drawing called “Cathedral Cavern’ based on Llanfair Slate Cavens in North Wales. I visited the site during the summer and was fascinated to learn about the history and working conditions that the miners experienced. The Cathedral Cavern is the largest area of the mine and the only space that lets in natural light. This piece started off with washes of graphitint pencil to add colour and then I used several layers of dark pencil over the top to add textures, shadows and details.
I have since returned to Snowdonia and visited another cavern at Tanygrisiau. This mine was considerably larger and deeper and was very inspiring to see. The surrounding area outside was bleak but beautiful and has provided me with further subject matter to work with. I’m increasingly drawn to quiet landscapes and this place was just right.
Bullclough
For just over a year now I have been running the odd workshop at Bullclough Art School in the Peak District. When I’m there, we use the surrounding landscape as artistic inspiration and work from life. I decided to paint my own version and photograph the piece as I went along in order to help the students see how you can build up a painting. Having been there many times now, I feel that I have managed to captured the atmosphere of the place. You can see the picture in the natural landscapes section of this website.
Visit the website of Bullclough Art School to read more about what they do. I will be running more workshops there in the new year.
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.
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.
Guard House
I have just completed a new ink drawing based on RAF Tilstick, an abandoned World War 2 airbase near Whitchurch. The title of the piece is ‘Guard House’ and it can be found in the War Remains section of this website. It is part of an ongoing series of work based around war remains but also continues the theme of dereliction that has featured in my work for a long time now.
The building is from the same site that was featured in my ‘Union’ painting that recently won the RBSA Gallery Open Exhibition. This drawing was made using fine line pens and liquid black ink, a medium that takes a lot of concentration as it cannot be corrected once applied.
My next work will most likely feature RAF Upper Heyford, an airbase in Oxfordshire.
Park Hall
I have just completed another commission for a private collector which is based on Park Hall, a derelict building in Shetland. This building was once occupied by a doctor but has been abandoned now for quite some time. The eerie atmosphere is emphasised by the absence of human life and it reminded me of some of Edward Hoppers paintings.
If you are interested in requesting a commission let me know.
Commissions and New Projects
I have just completed a new commission entitled ‘Plashes Farm’ for a private collector. This piece has taken a few months on and off and is a little different to some of the things I have painted more recently. I enjoyed working on a larger scale and the contrast between the brickwork and natural areas was interesting. The buyer mentioned how quiet it was at the farm and so I wanted to capture that in the picture.
I have other creative projects on the go including another commission, work to create for a welsh gallery and my ongoing project featuring war remnants.
An image of ‘Plashes Farm’ can be found on this website. If you are interested in discussing a commission get in touch via the contact form.
Union
I have just completed a new painting entitled ‘Union’ which is based on the remains of RAF Tilstock. I discovered the site last year on my way to Wales and was very much fascinated by what I discovered. It combines my interest of history, dereliction and woodland and explores the relationship between nature and people. The area was deserted and still and I was able to take a number of photographs during my visit. I may produce further works based on the theme.
An image of the painting can be found in the Abandoned Spaces section of this website. It will feature in the Fragments exhibition in September.
Frozen Earth
I have just completed a new painting entitled “Frozen Earth’. I do not normally work in watercolour but have recently been experimenting in sketchbooks and have enjoyed revisiting the medium. The image is based on a recent unplanned visit to Cannock Chase. As I drove through the forest I was very much taken by the mist, the frosty landscape and the quiet atmosphere.
Open Shows and New Drawing
I have just completed a new ink drawing, ‘Springfield Brewery’, based on an abandoned factory in Wolverhampton. A few years ago I discovered the building as I hunted for subject matter for a derelict building project I was working on. Until now I haven’t responded to my research. I have started to revisit the subject matter as I will be exhibiting with Jemma Gunning later in the year on an abandoned spaces project. Working with ink will complement her printmaking practice.
I have found out today that my painting, ‘Renewal’, has been pre-selected for the Royal Society of British Artists Annual Exhibition 2019. Hopefully it will get past the next round and make it to the show!
'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.
Fragments II
I have just completed a new painting, ‘Fragments II’, which is based on the same collapsed structure featured in my recent drawing. The work ties in with the other themes that i have been exploring but adds a new environment that is rarely featured in my work - the beach. As with the recent tree paintings natural elements mix with human made - debris and litter with rocks, grass and sand. Text features again with the graffiti adding a record of visits made to the site.
The structure appears to be the remains of a World War 2 pill box but could perhaps be something else. As with my other work the mystery of the space along with the evidence of passing time appeals to me.
Fragments II can be seen in the Abandoned Spaces section of this website.
Fragment
I have just completed a new piece of work based on a derelict World War 2 pillbox I discovered in Northumberland. The collapsed concrete structure is quite striking and caught my eye immediately as I approached the beach. A large piece of it, featured in the drawing, balances from where it once stood onto the rocks below appearing like a jagged bridge. People have scratched in their names onto the surface like they sometimes do on trees. The history of the original structure mixes with the recent history of visitors to the area. In addition, this area had the quiet atmosphere often associated with derelict buildings and like my recent tree paintings combined natural with human made elements.
The drawing, entitled ‘Fragment’, was created using ink pens and ink washes and can be found in the Abandoned Spaces section of this website.
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.