A little exhibition history, etc

Exhibitions, societies, awards

Although entering competitions and juried exhibitions can a bit of a trial I feel it has help me focus on what works and what doesn’t but that isn’t to say I don’t try new things, on the contrary, if I don’t get accepted I will try something different next time but that is also true if I get excepted.

Before I was full time I was elected a member of the Yorkshire and British watercolour society and with them I exhibited in many places including Poland, Westminster hall and Whitby art gallery with solo and joint exhibitions with my father in numerous galleries and venues across the country including Richmond, Yorkshire and Richmond, Surrey.

Recent exhibitions have included the Wildfowl and wetland trust at Slimbridge and exhibitions with the Marwell international wildlife art society (MIWAS), one of my paintings was selected for the brochure cover in 20, regularly NEWA,Society of Wildlife artists (SWLA), Mall galleries ,Hiram Blauvet museum New York state. Orleans gallery, Richmond plus many more.

• the Wildlife art society international. Ken Stroud founders award (
• BBC Wildlife artist of the year 2011. Winner ‘wildlife in its environment’
• runner up in ‘World birds’.
• BBC Wildlife artist of the year 2012 Runner up ‘wildlife in its environment’.
• The wildlife art society. St Cuthberts mill ‘best work of paper’
• David Shepherd Wildlife artist of the year, 3 paintings selected

A brief history of me.

I hope that viewing my work you can share some of the emotions that created the painting and take a fresh look at the world around us.

As a child I was fortunate to have the freedom to explore and discover my own environment and see nature through my own eyes. There was pollution and dereliction in the northern coal town where I lived but having that freedom to roam gave me the opportunity to go beyond their boundaries and gaze upon the magic and wonder of the natural world. In my teens I took great delight in helping to restore and create habitat out of this barren land and this in turn laid the foundation of my life long desire to paint wildlife in its environment and to share my passion with others.

Creative process

Inspiration can come at any time, a brief glimpse when driving in the car or an image recalled from a distant memory. This is then worked out in thought before making it to the rough sketch stage then occasionally to a full painting or to resurface again in the future. A quiet moment sitting on the cliffs edge can take the creative process to many directions.

Where I live and its role

After many years living around the coast of the uk from the Highlands of Scotland to the downs of the isle of Wight circumstances brought my family and I to the Lizard peninsular where I finally fulfilled my lifelong ambition to become a full time artist. I am fortunate to be able to walk along the cliffs of the Lizard peninsula on a daily basis or the gentle creeks of the Helford River. Sometimes I venture further afield to the lush valleys and high moors or the north coast to watch breeding Peregrine falcons.