Artist Statement

I am an ex-firefighter turned self taught artist. After university I completed more than 30 years in the fire & rescue service until 2008 since when I have committed myself to developing my art and finding my own artistic voice.
Originally an artist in oils my output can be diverse & wide-ranging. Apart from my current focus on still life it includes landscapes & urban scenes to more figurative/abstract work and commissioned portraiture, but whatever the subject matter my painterly style is characterized by a trademark vibrancy of colour and attention to fine detail, sometimes accompanied by a slightly surreal twist.
I try to use my sense of colour and love of form to raise the spirits. One of my abiding hopes is that, like music, art can serve to engender a greater sense of wellbeing – in observer and creator alike. I believe art at its best can be a simple, joyful experience as well as a vehicle for asking more difficult & fundamental questions about human experience.
I am a member of the Visual Artists’ Association and a founder member of the Derbyshire Artists’ Guild. In 2020 my work was selected for show in both the Harley Gallery Open and the prestigious ING Discerning Eye exhibitions followed by the Royal Cambrian Open in Conwy.
In 2022 my work was recognized by the Royal Academy London and was selected for the Summer Exhibition 2022.