What’s your background?
I was born in a mining village near Doncaster in the South Yorkshire coal fields. After graduating from Doncaster in 1969 I took my first job in advertising in Manchester as an Art Director. I later took a job at the Yorkshire Post where the pay was better for a spell.
During my 40 year, award winning, career in advertising and graphic design I also picked up a Clio nomination for my work on the ‘People Campaign’ for The Halifax Building Society in the 1980’s which still runs in a modified form today. This work served to later inform my latest body of contemporary artworks.
Explain what you do in 100 words.
I love people watching. I am continuing to develop my crowd scenes, which are impressionistic renderings of people in eventful situations.
The paintings are products of my imagination and are intended to engage and evoke strong emotional responses with viewers.
Sometimes the crowd scenes are central to my compositions but, more recently, I have been painting epic landscapes populated by small groups of people to add a sense of scale.
I really like pushing paint around until something exciting happens, rather like a novelist develops a plot or a jazz musician plays around a melody. I love listening to music while I paint.
What five words best describe your work?
Crowds of people in paint.
What are you working on at the moment?
I have just finished my submission to Great North Art Show and I am now working on submitting work to other high profile and prestigious shows.
Which three artists inspire you?
Difficult to narrow down. Francis Bacon, Howard Hodgkin and Cy Twombly.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
Be yourself. That is my own advice to self.
Favourite or most inspirational place in Yorkshire.
My studio currently. Yorkshire is in my blood and head.
Tell us something we don’t know.
I am not as boring as I look. I am worse than that.