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.
Vacation
I have just completed a new acrylic painting which I’ve called ‘Vacation’. It features a derelict ceramics factory in Middleport as seen from across the canal. The abandoned caravan caught my attention and made it appear as if someone had chosen to have a holiday amongst an overgrown and neglected part of Stoke-on-Trent. There was something absurd but also sad about the scene. It is the same building that appears in my ‘Inside Out’ and ‘Outside In’ paintings. This piece will feature in my next solo show next year. You can view it in the ‘Abandoned Spaces’ section of my website.
Open Exhibitions
This week I found out that I have work selected for two open exhibitions.
My oil painting, ‘Hidden’, has been selected for the RBSA Prize Exhibition at the RBSA Gallery in Birmingham. This runs from the 15th September to the 15th October. My acrylic painting, ‘Inside Out’, has been selected for the Royal West of England Academy 169th Annual Open Exhibition at the RWA Gallery in Bristol. This runs from the 8th October until the 8th January.
These are both great shows and I’m really pleased to be included. Just need to get them both framed now!
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.
Sandonia
I am often fascinated by how the landscape changes over a period of time. The Sandonia in Stafford has recently seen some dramatic changes after builders started to knock down some of the walls but then stopped, leaving it in a semi demolished state. This opened up the side of the structure revealing some of the interior, which I found interesting. I have just completed a new pencil drawing of the view from one of the sides and tried out a number of techniques to capture the gritty textures on the walls and ground.
As always, my interest in this kind of scene is the way nature takes over the places we abandon. In addition there’s the history side of it where people have memories of how the place used to be. The building has been used for various things over the years, finishing off as a snooker hall towards the end of its life. I remember playing snooker there once as a teenager with friends. At the moment I’m not sure whether the place will be fully demolished or restored once again.
You can view the drawing in the Abandoned Spaces section of this website.
GEC
I have just completed a new oil painting based on the old GEC Factory that was recently demolished in Stafford. This building was part of the landscape for as long as I can remember and it seems strange to now see it gone. The site was large and it took a few weeks to remove the various buildings. I have captured the main part of the factory, partway through demolition and was interested in how various parts of the interior became visible after some of the outer shell was removed. There is something quite sad but also beautiful about the last remaining parts of the structure. It was once a major employer for Stafford but this once busy area has now become very quiet and still.
Fragments II Launch
‘Fragments II’, the joint exhibition with Jemma Gunning, starts today. The show features drawings, paintings and printmaking exploring themes of urban decay, industrial decline and abandonment. This is our second collaboration which was originally intended to be held in a gallery but now due to the pandemic is being held online. Tonight we held an online private view via Zoom and talked to participants about our working practice and shared insight into the themes within the work.
Universal II
I have just completed a new ink drawing of the old Universal factory that was a key landmark in Stafford until the recent demolition. It was a place of work for many of the residents in the area and is known by many people. I painted the factory a couple of years ago when it was still in use but even then it looked almost derelict and worn. The drawing captures the place partway through the demolition process. Now there is nothing left.
Universal II will feature in the Fragments II exhibition with Jemma Gunning.
Fragments II
I am excited to announce Fragments II, my new joint exhibition with printmaker Jemma Gunning.
Since our first show in 2019, Fragments, we have been planning our second exhibition after seeing how well our work harmoniously sat together.
With the global pandemic our plans are on hold. We thought an online exhibition, would be a great place to continue sharing our work and stories during these strange times. The exhibition will go live on the 15th of June and will run to the end of the year. A link to the show will be made available then.
The online exhibition will feature past work that is juxtaposed with a diverse range of new drawings, paintings and original prints that quietly celebrate the beauty found amongst the remnants of the past.
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 Shack
Happy New Year!
I have just completed a new painting called 'The Shack' which depicts an old but still active car wash on the edge of Stafford town. This is part of a series of work that looks at overlooked places on the edge of towns and cities. It is also another piece of work that looks at themes of stillness and solitude. The subject matter in my work is always less important to me than the what lies beyond the surface. There is always something else there that is hard to put onto words but can be felt. It is this feeling that I try to capture in the paintings - finding something beautiful or fascinating in everyday things, even subjects that are normally seen to be unpleasant or ugly. An image of this painting can be seen in the urban landscape section of this website.
My art classes have been going well so far and I'm starting a new one at Burntwood Library from next week. I teach people of all abilities from beginner to advanced and can cover a range of drawing and painting techniques. A full list of classes can be found in the teaching section of this website. New students welcome any time - contact me for details.
Exhibitions and New Work
My Aonach Mor paintings are now on show in the latest exhibition at the new Guildhall Pop Up Art Gallery in Stafford. The gallery show Staffordshire based artists and craftspeople and it's well worth a visit.
My recent "Signing Off" painting is currently part of the Autumn Exhibition at Reuben Colley Fine Art. This is a mixed show featuring some of the artists represented by the gallery. Again, very much worth a visit.
I am currently working on another urban landscape which is developing nicely.
Arrival
I have now completed my new painting based on an urban area on the outskirts of Stafford town. It depicts the side of a garage and the railway line behind it. What attracted me to this space is the run down appearance of the area with the peeling paint, graffiti and cracked concrete. It has a feeling that something has happened or is about to happen and at the same time is the sort of place that is often ignored or overlooked.
The painting is called "Arrival" which refers to the theme of transport (the garage and railway line in the picture) but also the sense of becoming aware of the spirit of the area. The scene in the image would not normally be something people would spend time with - it would be somewhere that was passed or used briefly, perhaps to park or drop off a vehicle. Most of us spend much of our time thinking ahead of where we want to be rather than being aware of where we are and what we are doing, So this painting looks at looking at something generally regarded as ugly in a new light and seeing that everything is fascinating given the right outlook.
This work also connects to other work i have done that explored themes of abandonment and stillness. I intend to work more in this area.
New work for 2017
It's been a while since i have written anything on this site but I have been really busy painting and teaching.
My art classes are going well and I have just put together an art exhibition for my students at The Ancient High House in Stafford. The artists are a mix of beginners, more experienced and advanced and the pieces have been very well received by the public. The exhibition is called "Through the Looking Glass" and it runs until the 8th April. Entry is free but most of the work is for sale.
I am currently working on two paintings both featuring garages. The first is a private commission and the other features a scene on the outskirts of Stafford. This piece is an atmospheric urban landscape depicting an area that most people would probably not notice. The piece attempts to capture a sense of the place, something that words cannot describe.
This theme has been part of my work for a while now whether it is buildings, landscapes or interiors. In some ways it doesn't matter what the scene is; it is more about being present in the moment and feeling alive within the space. A feeling that goes deeper than the day to day issues, a sense of life and death, an ever changing landscape.
You can never guess how a painting will go but this new piece is flowing really well and I'm painting with confidence and a sense of purpose.