About Me

So about me. I am 26 years old and I live in Cambridge in the UK. I’ve always been into painting, drawing and making things and friends of mine over the years have been subjected to a range of homemade gifts from lewd poetry to knitted willy warmers. I make things because they bring more joy than things that are mass produced. To me, it’s important to remember that not everything has to be made by machine.

ABOUT MY PORTRAITS

As you’ll see, most of the work in the gallery is portraiture. I think in some ways I enjoy portraiture the most because of the technical challenge of capturing an accurate likeness of someone. I believe wholeheartedly that all artists should have a good technical ability to draw and paint before they explore more experimental or abstract work and drawing people (from life or photos) is both good practise and a test of one’s ability. On a philosophical level, I am intrigued by the social or cultural importance placed on the outer image and just how much it reflects or shapes the person within.

I like to experiment with different styles of painting, so you’ll see there are some ‘pop art’ inspired cartoon-like portraits and some more realistic ones. It is important to me to continue to flex and learn new techniques in painting, so I often do reproductions or studies of other artists’ work in order to practise a new style.

For information about commissioning a portrait, please visit the ‘Commissions’ page.

 OTHER ART WORK

I am currently working on a collaborative series of paintings with fellow artist Dan Biggs, that will combine elements of street art and realism. Working with Dan has inspired me to try new things, so as well as the collaborative project, I’m experimenting with new ideas and techniques – including collage – and will be showing this work around November 2012.

CAMBRIDGE MARKET

You’ll be able to find me at the Market Square in Cambridge city centre once a fortnight (although not during heavy snowfall/unpleasant weather), where I’ll be offering live portrait drawings at the stall. I will also have a small number of framed original drawings, etchings and other creative goodies to sell.

Also, all customers who get a portrait done at my market stall will receive a 10% discount on framing service at the Makers’ Gallery, Hope Street Yard, run by my good friend Neil Christie. See www.makersgallery.co.uk for more information.

I also offer live portrait drawings at corporate or celebratory events - please get in touch via the ‘Contact Me’ page.

VISIT MY BLOG

Since deciding to make more of a career of doing what I love, I have been keeping a blog about my attempt to do that. As a child, one is often discouraged from pursuing the arts and told to study for a ‘real job’. It IS difficult to make a living from art yes, but then, I find that the most difficult things in life can be the most enriching. So through my blog I’m documenting my journey – the mistakes, discoveries and challenges I am facing by following my passion and what I’m learning from them. Otherwise put, it’s a load of inane babble!

http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/1746045