Born in Wigan, England in 1957 I studied painting and printmaking at Wigan College and Sunderland University. I left art college winning two painting scholarships, as well as the Sunderland Echo Fine Art prize. I exhibit widely, teach drawing, painting and printmaking and am a member of the Society of Graphic Fine Art, an associate of the RBSA and a member of The Printmakers Council.
The Rugby Gallery
National Gallery, London
Tate Gallery
Printmakers Council
SGFA
RBSA
AoI
GOWA
I have been making and exhibiting since 1980 and believe good draftsmanship to be a prerequisite of good art. I always have a drawing book in use, drawing from life and experience, the "life" helps to realise form and structure, while the "experience" lets me move ideas forward.
Although my work is relatively figurative it is about the making process. I am interested in how a picture develops, so I let shape and colour, textures and marks suggest the next, allowing the image dictate and change the form. I like swapping ideas between works, from drawing to paint to print. If a mark or a colour works on one, I use it on others. When I paint (which is rare these days) the paintings tend to either influence or have been influenced by printmaking. The print technique I prefer is linocut, the graphic and immediate mark-making coupled with the slow development of the print process so far suits the way I think.