Street-scapes and the unique characters who populate our towns and cities are endlessly fascinating to me.
Catching those spontaneous moments, both comical and at times compelling opens a window into the human condition.
One of the most enjoyable aspects of my job is engaging with people. I took an active role during volunteers week in June 2023. I’ve always been a people person and putting individuals at ease makes for a much more relaxed, happy environment.
My photographic approach is to combine state of the art technology with my observational skills and attention to detail.
I also adapt my style and adopt a much looser approach allowing the picture to speak for itself.
I’ve been involved with The Seas Festival held in Skegness. Its creative impact heralded the annual SO arts Festival which is an ongoing event.
My artwork has travelled far and wide. I’ve exhibited a number of times in Skegness including the Made In England exhibition where my work was shown in Germany & Hungary.
One of my earliest experiences was exhibiting in the H-Art gallery,
a pop-up space in a local shopping centre in Skegness.
One of my more unusual projects was displaying my art in Barclays Bank.
Moving a little further afield I have held an exhibition in a gallery space in Lincoln.
I have previously been involved with The Louth Arts Trail where my artwork formed a part of an artistic journey.
One of my most memorable experiences was my involvement with the Made In England project. My contribution was my biggest art piece to date depicting the massive number of caravans which dominate the landscape in and around Skegness. I approached my subject in an abstract form, which proved to be personally enlightening and inspiring. My acrylic canvas was exhibited throughout Europe and was displayed in The Embassy Theatre art space as part of my solo show, Treescape.
In 2013 during what was a time of great economic stagnation for high streets across the country, I was invited to exhibit at a pop-up art gallery in the Hildreds shopping centre. This presented an opportunity to reach a different audience which was an exciting prospect. Having people step in from the street while out doing their shopping was a refreshing experience sparking wide ranging conversations and awareness about the importance of making art accessible.
I was asked by my local branch of Barclays Bank to exhibit my Made In England artwork which reminded on display for a year.
I’m a keen advocate of sharing art in public spaces but not necessarily traditional art galleries. I took my artwork to Lincoln where it was shown in a coffee shop come gallery space. Once again this tapped into my commitment to sharing art with people who might not necessarily visit an art gallery. The title of this exhibition was “Not Everything Is Black And White” and featured a number of my pen and ink drawings.
Having been approached to be a contributor for the Louth Art Trail, I found myself involved in manning the gallery space where my painting was on display. It was a most stimulating experience exhibiting alongside other artists and being actively engaged in delivering the project to a diverse community of people. Art In The Town was an amazing opportunity to showcase my work which I thoroughly enjoyed.
One of my most innovative projects was asking people who attended my art groups to put on a blindfold and then draw a face. There were some interesting results! I even persuaded my MP, Matt Harmen to give it a try.
He was highly amused by his efforts.
My work has featured on a number of occasions in the local media covering a variety of topics including climate change, outdoor activities at the Treescape Studio, art as a means for healing and the SO What Gallery.
