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.

Urban Exploring

Last weekend I met up with Jemma Gunning to explore parts of Stoke-on-Trent in order to find derelict buildings. We have both independently worked on this theme before but this was the first time we had visited the same site. The idea was that it would be interesting to share ideas and to compare how we both responded to the same visual stimulus.

We ended up in Middleport and discovered abandoned ceramics factories along the canals. These places were falling apart and nature was beginning to take over the spaces. Remnants of the factory work shared space with litter and random debris. We found a sofa outside one place and a graffiti covered caravan too.

These places are ugly seen from one perspective but there is a peculiar beauty and fascination to them too. You think about the loss of industry but also wonder at where all these additional random items originated from. Myself and Jemma took a lot of photos that day and look forward to beginning new work.

View our current show, ‘Fragments II’.

Three Counties Open Exhibition 2020

I’m pleased to announce that my painting, ‘Union’ has been selected for the Three Counties Open Exhibition 2020. This year, due to the pandemic, the show will be held online running from 31st July to the 31st August. This piece won the RBSA Open Exhibition earlier this year and remains one of my personal favourite pieces of work so far.

I am currently building up a set of work based around the same theme, some of which features in the ‘Fragments II’ online exhibition.

Escape into Abandonment

There has been a lot of talk amongst the creative community about how people have been spending their time during the pandemic. Some artists have been very productive whilst others have found it difficult to focus on a routine. Understandably people have been affected in different ways, which has impacted on their mood.

I have personally found my art to be a way of escaping from the drama of current events whilst simultaneously looking at themes that are very real and on going.

My work studies impermanence and change. It is all around us but is not often discussed, perhaps because it is a reminder of our own temporary existence. People often resist change and want things to stay the same, which just causes unhappiness. The study of dereliction is one way of looking at this impermanence.

The escapism part comes because although the subject matter references human activity, there are no people present. At the moment social media is full of people expressing anger, frustration and sadness about the pandemic or the injustice of the world, which is completely understandable. However I have found the general negativity, often fuelled by fear, to be overwhelming and have responded by retreating into a much quieter space. I wasn’t denying reality but needed a space to recover and rest.

One of the attractions of abandonment as a subject is that is very quiet and still. It’s a time for reflection or just contemplation of the natural world as it takes over the spaces we once used. No raised voices, no drama… just quietness. I have needed this space over the last few months to cope with what is going on. It has helped keep me balanced so that I can be there for other people when they needed support.

There’s nothing wrong with making art about current affairs and many people do it well but I find dealing with impermanency to be more satisfying and fascinating. Ironically it is a subject that will continue to be relevant to future generations and will never go away!

‘Fragments II’, my current exhibition with Jemma Gunning, explores these themes in more detail. This is an online exhibition and runs until the end of the year. Take a look.

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.

View Fragments II now.

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.

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.

Brunswick Tower

I’ve just completed a new drawing, ‘Brunswick Tower’, which features a structure located at RAF Upper Heyford, an abandoned airbase in Oxfordshire. This tower was situated by the weapons storage area and was occupied by a single member for 8 hour shifts at a time.

This piece was created using ink pens and watercolour. Normally my ink drawings are in black and white but I thought I would try a colour tint this time for a bit of variation. The work can be found in the ‘War Remains’ section of this 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.

The Igloo

I have just completed a new drawing inspired by my recent visit to RAF Upper Heyford last year. The new piece is an ink drawing called ‘The Igloo’. The building in the picture was once used to store strategic nuclear bombs and the people on site used to refer these structures as igloos. I have been using ink pens quite a bit recently and using diluted black ink for tonal washes which i think works rather well. I will be working on more pieces from this visit soon.

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.

Happy New Year

It’s been possibly the busiest creative year so far for me in 2019.

I have had work exhibited at a few Open Exhibitions including the RWA Gallery in Bristol, The RBSA Gallery in Birmingham, The Meinier Gallery in London (with the SGFA) and also Brampton Museum and Art Gallery where I won the main prize.

I exhibited with Bristol based printmaker Jemma Gunning in our ‘Fragments’ show at The Brewhouse Arts Centre in Burton. We plan to take this show elsewhere and will be applying for other venues in the new year. Jemma’s work compliments mine well and I’m sure it will grow.

I have been collaborating with Staffordshire artist Karen Wicks on a sketchbook project based on ruins from WW2. We plan to put together a show for this soon.

I joined the Birmingham Art Circle earlier on the year and exhibited with them at the RBSA Gallery in Autumn. This diverse and gifted group of people will no doubt prove to be inspiring in 2020.

I have exhibited throughout the year at The Guildhall Gallery in Stafford as well as running workshops there.

I have produced several pieces of art work in various mediums throughout the year including a large commission for a private collector. A new commission has just been started and will be completed early next year.

I’ve had a bit of a break over Christmas but already have lots of plans for new work next year. Happy New Year everyone!

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.

Into the Light

I’ve just completed a small ink pen drawing which will be heading to the Menier Gallery next month and will be part of a charity sale in aid of the Artist General Benevolant Institution. The drawing is called ‘Into the Light’ and is the size of a postcard.

My drawing, ‘Waiting’, will also be heading to The Menier Gallery as part of the Draw 19 Open Exhibition run by the Society of Graphic Fine Art. This is my first time exhibiting with the organisation and i’m really looking forward to seeing the show.

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.

Fragments

The ‘Fragments’ exhibition with Jemma Gunning starts today at The Brewhouse Arts Centre in Burton. The show looks really strong and I feel Jemma’s work complements mine very well. My work is a mixture of brand new and slightly older pieces - pencils drawings, ink drawings and acrylic paintings. The exhibition runs until the 26th October and we are holding an exhibition launch on Saturday 7th September, 2pm to 4pm. Do come down if you can make it.

I am also exhibiting four pieces of work in the forthcoming exhibition with The Birmingham Art Circle. It takes place at the RBSA Gallery in Birmingham and runs from Monday 23rd September to Saturday 5th October. This is my first exhibition with the group since joining.

I found out recently that two of my drawings, ‘Opening’ and ‘The Hidden Tree’, have been pre-selected for the forthcoming Annual Open Exhibition at The RWA Gallery in Bristol. I was fortunate to be part of that show last year and hope to repeat that success this year. Fingers crossed for round 2!