I’m pleased to announce that my drawing ‘Llanfair Slate Caverns’ has been selected for the Society of Graphic Fine Art Annual Open Exhibition. This piece is one of a series of work inspired by my recent trip to North Wales. It will be a good show in a nice venue so do pop in if you’re in the area.
Visit the Society of Graphic Fine Art website to see a preview of the show.
Exhibitions and New work
My drawing ‘Waiting’ is currently on display at the RBSA Drawing exhibition in Birmingham. This is the first time the gallery have dedicated an exhibition entirely to drawing and it’s a very strong show. It runs until the 14th October.
My recent oil painting, ‘Serenity’ has been selected for the forthcoming ‘Broadway Arts Festival’ which runs from the 6th to the 15th October. The show takes place at Bretforton Theatrebarn in the Cotswolds.
I’ve been working on some new drawings inspired by Llanfair Slate Caverns in North Wales. I’ve just completed a second one which you can view on this website. For this piece I combined washes of graphitint with layers of Conte carbon pencil which has give the work a bolder look than the first one. I like them both in different ways.
RBSA Drawing Prize 2023
I am pleased to announce that my drawing ‘Waiting’ has been selected for the RBSA Drawing Prize. This piece depicts a misty scene at Cannock Chase in Staffordshire. Although I have produced quite a few pieces of work of the area, I feel that this one is perhaps my favourite drawing of the series. It captures a very quiet and dream like state which I really like.
The exhibition starts 5th September and runs until the 15th October. The RBSA Gallery is in Birmingham within St Pauls Square. Do pop down and take a look.
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!
SGFA
I have just been accepted as an Associate Member of the Society of Graphic Fine Art. (SGFA). This is a great opportunity to meet new artists and it will also mean more opportunities to exhibit my work. Drawing is a big part of my practice and so it’s good to be involved with an organisation who focus on that.
I have had drawings in the last two SGFA Open Exhibitions and look forward to working with them on a more regular basis. Take a look at their website to find out more.
'Guard House' selected for the Annual SGFA Exhibition
I am pleased to announce that my ink drawing, ‘Guard House’, has been selected for the Society of Graphic Fine Art Annual Exhibition. The show will run 5th - 10th July 2021 at the Mall Galleries in London. It is good to be part of a show that focuses on drawing as it is a big part of what I do as an artist.
‘Guard House’ is part of a series of work focusing on war remains and features RAF Tilstock, an abandoned airbase near Whitchurch.
Whiskey 13
I have just completed a new ink pen drawing of ‘Whiskey 13’, a watch tower at the disused RAF Upper Heyford site. I feel the black and white look of the drawing suits the subject and the ink pens were good for capturing the battered surfaces. I used a variety of techniques on this piece and enjoyed the process.
I find the structures at the site to be quite haunting and yet rather beautiful in a way. It wasn’t just a case of describing the appearance of these structures but trying to capture the atmosphere of the site which is full of history. You can find the drawing and others in the series on the ‘War Remains’ page of this website.
New Work
I’m currently working on a few creative projects and the current lockdown has meant I have spent more time in my studio.
Today I have repaired one of my recent oil paintings, ‘After the Rain”, after it fell off a shelf. This is now fully restored and if anything, looks better than before. I am also working on a new oil painting featuring the GEC Factory that has recently been demolished in Stafford.
I have begun a new ink drawing based on one of the towers at RAF Upper Heyford. I have a new technique I want to try out on this piece which I think will work well.
I’m never bored!
HAS 7
I have been working on and off on a new pencil drawing for a few months now and have eventually got round to finishing it. It features one of the shelters at RAF Upper Heyford, a disused airbase in Oxfordshire. The building is known by the USAF as a ‘TAB-V (Theater Air Base Vulnerability Evaluation Exercise) Shelter’ but at Upper Heyford they referred to it as a ‘HAS’ (Hardened Aircraft Shelter). They were used to house combat ready jets during the Cold War.
I visited the site near the end of 2019 and it was a fascinating place to experience. I have quite a few research photos of the area which I’ve dipped into for inspiration on recent work. Some of the buildings on the site had been repurposed as storage buildings for local businesses whereas other structures are derelict and in poor repair.
My drawing, ‘HAS 7’, can be found in the ‘War Remains’ section of this website.
Happy New Year
Nobody needs reminding how difficult 2020 has been. We’ve all found it challenging and have coped in different ways. For me, I have largely shut off the news, spent more time in nature and focused on my art.
Despite all the disruption I have had several very positive moments throughout the year. I won first prize in the RBSA Open Art Competition, had work included in the Broadway Open, the Three Counties Open and the RBSA Prize exhibition. I held an online exhibition with Jemma Gunning and went urban exploring with her to find new subject matter for a third show.
In the Autumn I started working with Bullclough Art School, delivering ink pen and painting workshops. All being well, I will be running several more workshops there next year.
My drawing mostly focused on ink pens this year and I have produced some of my favourite work in this medium. Near the end of the year I started working in oil paints again for the first time in over twenty years and found it enjoyable.
My art classes will resume at the venues as soon as we are able to return. In the meantime I will be teaching online at the start of the year. New students are welcome to join.
Life is never completely bad or good - there’s always a mixture of the two. Challenges will come to us all and we just need to make the most of what we have. I feel next year we will see a gradual transition into a more ‘normal year’ as the vaccines roll out across the UK and I will continue to make more art. I am never bored!
'Guard House' selected for the RBSA Prize Exhibition 2020
I was pleased to find out today that my drawing, ‘Guard House’ has been selected for the RBSA Prize Exhibition 2020. This piece is based on RAF Tilstock, an abandoned airbase near Whitchurch. It was created during the lockdown period and is my favourite drawing I have made so far. It captures the feeling I had when I walked about the site and I enjoyed using the pens and ink washes to create the various surfaces.
The exhibition runs from the 8th October to the 21st November. Visit the RBSA website for more details.
Art Classes back for Autumn 2020
My regular art classes will return in September. The Burntwood classes will be moving to Hammerwich Community Hall for the time being and the Penkridge class will temporarily move to Haughton Village Hall. The other classes will be at Haughton Village Hall as normal. The venues are following current government guidelines around hygiene and social distancing.
Details for the courses can be found on the art classes page of this website.
During lockdown I have been teaching an online art class. Students are given access to art exercises via this website and then receive detailed feedback during each stage of the picture. The exercises cover different abilities and mediums and feedback is given via WhatsApp, email or video calls. I will continue to offer the online art class for the autumn term. Contact me for details.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Three Counties Open Art 2019
I am pleased to announce my ink drawing, ‘Fragments’, has been selected to appear in the Three Counties Open Art 2019. This piece depicts the remains of a World War 2 pillbox found on a beach in Northumberland near Ashington. This large concrete structure cuts a strange silhouette on the landscape and pieces of it can be found strewn across the beach. From a holiday makers point of view it’s an eyesore but on the other hand it’s a fascinating glimpse into history. A number of names have been drawn on the concrete mixing recent history with old. The exhibition runs from the 27th July until the 26th August at The Burslem School of Art.
I am currently preparing for my exhibition with Jemma Gunning which starts in September. The show is also called Fragments which relates to the themes running through both our work (we’re both fascinated by dereliction and abandonment). Whilst selecting work for the show I decided to revisit my painting of RAF Seighford as I had felt for some time that it needed some extra work. The changes I have made are subtle but noticeable and it is now a stronger piece.
I am currently organising giclee prints for some of my work. These will be available from myself and selected galleries. More information on this soon.