Experimental Drawing

I have been experimenting again with ink over the last couple of weeks. This time I’ve not used the pens as normal and instead focused on Quink ink. By wetting the paper and dropping in black Quink you can get some really interesting and unpredictable results. I’ve just completed a new drawing featuring Tanygrisiau, an area of North Wales that I visited in October when exploring the caverns there. Loose areas of ink on wet paper were added first and then more controlled brushed ink was added on afterwards. It’s an interesting technique and one which I plan to explore a little more.

You can find ‘Tanygrisiau’ in the ‘Small Works’ and ‘Slate Caverns’ sections of this website.

New work

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.

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.

Birmingham Art Circle Exhibition

I currently have three pieces of work on display at the the Birmingham Art Circle exhibition at the RBSA Gallery in Birmingham. It’s a diverse show and members work across several different mediums. The show runs until the 11th November and it is definitely worth a visit. My pieces are the ‘Sandonia 3’ pencil drawing and two oil paintings, ‘The Path Home’ and ‘Serenity’.

I recently went back to Snowdonia again and took further research photos of the landscape there. The mountains and the slate caverns are very dramatic and inspiring. It’s a great area and I could imagine living in the area at some point in the future.

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.

Llanfair Slate Caverns

I recently returned from North Wales where I visited Snowdonia and various other places in the area. I was very much inspired by my trip to to Llanfair Slate Caverns near Harlech. The history of the area is interesting and I enjoyed learning about the working conditions of the miners. The tunnels felt quite atmospheric and I took a number of photos while I was there.

Back in my studio I began to put together some compositions inspired by my visit and have just completed my first drawing. It’s in the new ‘Slate Caverns’ section of my website. This new piece was created using graphitint and pencil which seemed to suit the textures of the rock. More to follow!

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.

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.

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.

Ink Experiments

I have been experimenting again with quink ink and produced a new drawing that is both loose and descriptive at the same time. This time around I used a little blue ink alongside the black and white, finishing off with a thin brush to add details. The new piece is called ‘Glow’ and you can see it in the woodland section of this website.

At the moment I have no particular project in mind and so I am just enjoying playing with materials to see what I can come up with. The one thing I am sure about is that I want to create some work that is calm and peaceful. I tend to be drawn to quiet landscapes more than busy scenes.

The Path Home

I’ve just completed a small new oil painting based on an area of Cannock Chase. Although I’ve used this forest many times as inspiration, the difference this time was that I wanted to create something that focuses on a peaceful atmosphere. For me, the forest is a place of great wonder but also somewhere I go to unwind and get away from the stresses of life. The media is generally quite negative and paints a bleak and hopeless view of the world. Although life has challenges, there is beauty and acts of kindness but you rarely hear or read about it. As a student I was given the impression that serious works of art should be political or deal with social issues but I’ve recently felt like making work that is calm and still. The new painting is called ‘The Path Home’ and can be found in the ‘Small Works’ section of this website.

Lull

Following my recent ‘Abandoned Spaces’ exhibition, I started to have ideas for a new body of work. I’ve been experimenting with inks in sketchbooks and trying slightly new ways of working. When using ink I normally favour the fine line pens but have recently been working with quink and white ink. After a few loose pieces, I came up with a more layered and detailed piece which I’ve called ‘Lull'.

The title of the new work relates to my interest in producing work that is peaceful and still. It is a reaction against the news which almost entirely focuses on what is wrong with the world. I didn’t feel that I wanted to add to that and so have set about planning work that is quiet, slow and serene. By having moments of serenity we are able to recharge our energy and are then better equip to cope with life. At the same time, by slowing down occasionally, we are able to find the moments of beauty that are all around us. The world is not perfect but by missing this beauty, we are left with a distorted view of life.

You can view ‘Lull’ in the woodland section of the website.

Abandoned Spaces

Thank you to to everyone that attended the private view for my ‘Abandoned Spaces’ exhibition at ACAVA Spode Works Studios, Stoke on Trent. It was great to see all the pictures on the walls as a collection and see how the different pieces worked together. I am hoping that through the drawings and paintings, people will be able to appreciate and understand what I find so inspiring in places such as these. From a conventional point of view, derelict buildings are not beautiful but when you stop and look more closely, these places do have something to say. The rich variety of textures and the way nature takes over the space is fascinating and inspiring. There is also a sense of stillness which can be very calming.

I will be at the exhibition space on Friday 3rd March working on a new drawing. Do pop down and say hello and I will show you around the work.

New Painting

I’ve just completed a new acrylic painting which I’ve called ‘Flux’. It is based on the interior of a derelict ceramics factory in Stoke-on-Trent which I visited last year. I was fascinated by how the building was slowly falling apart and the way nature was starting to return to parts of the building. The colours, textures and shapes all looked fascinating to me. Although there was no electricity, the roof windows bathed the rooms in warm light.

‘Flux’ will appear in my ‘Abandoned Spaces’ exhibition which starts on the 24th February at Spode Works in Stoke-on-Trent. You can see an image of it in the ‘Abandoned Spaces’ section of my website.

Landscape Artist of the Year

Last year I applied for and was accepted as a contestant on Landscape Artist of the Year. The episode was broadcast on the 1st February on the Sky Arts Channel. I was tasked with drawing or painting Blackpool Pleasure Beach as seen from the promenade. It is luck of the draw with this sort of thing and I found the view challenging with nothing particularly grabbing my interest, aside from the rusty old railings in front of me.

Although I am normally a slow worker, I had practised creating a picture within a four hour time slot with some success. But I hadn’t accounted for the various interruptions over the day which are all part of the programme. As well as the interviews in the pod, I was also asked questions by the film crew and occasionally had to vacate my pod to allow the cameras to view my work close up.

The weather added another challenge; at one point rain was blowing into the pod and later on I became sunburnt. With only an hour to go I realised that I had not got as much done as I had hoped and so decided to focus on the lower half of the picture featuring the railing. I felt that it was best to at least get some of the scene resolved to give the judges an idea of where I was heading

I didn’t win the round but I enjoyed the experience despite the weather, the view and lack of time. The other contestants were nice and supportive and the film crew made sure we had everything we needed throughout the day. I might apply again at some point.

A selection of my work is currently up for sale on the Sky Arts website and you can see them by following this link.

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.

Outside In

I’ve just completed a new acrylic painting based on the abandoned ceramics factory I discovered in Middleport. It is the same building featured in the ‘Inside Out’ painting which is currently on display at the RWA Gallery in Bristol. As usual, I was fascinated by the way nature takes over the spaces we leave behind and also how the light gently breaks through, bathing the leaves with an ethereal glow. This painting will feature in a new solo exhibition next year at Stoke on Trent (details to follow). You can view my new painting in the ‘Abandoned Spaces’ section of my website.

Brampton Museum and Art Gallery Open

I’m pleased to announce that two of my ink drawings have been selected for The Brampton Museum and Art Gallery Open Exhibition 2022. The two pieces chosen are ‘Guard House’ and ‘Whiskey 13’, both featuring buildings at the RAF Upper Heyford Airbase site.

I’ve been using ink pen quite a lot over the last few years and was pleased with how these pieces worked out. The exhibition runs from the 24th September until the 30th October and is free to visit.

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!