Rowans Gallery
Brackley NN13 7AB
Latest Gallery News
Press Release
5th July 2009
Call for entries - Emerging Artists Exhibition
Profile:
From as early as I can remember - I always loved anything with an engine and new 'what I wanted to be when I grew up' - and that was something to do based around art. Growing up around Brackley meant that Silverstone luckily was a regular part of my Life. Especially the vintage/classic racing meets. When it came to leaving Magdalen I jumped at the opportunity to work at a sign company/sign writers - who were based at the circuit and designed and made the stickers for race teams. I was able to watch many races from within the pit garages and some great vantage points out of public areas to watch the grand prix. Also this was pre-computerised and many intricate vinyl stickers had to be cut by hand with a scalpel - which was quite a skill in itself.
This however proved to be unfulfilling after a short time and I decided to go to Art College - culminating with a design/advertising degree from Central St. Martins, London. After six years of study at Banbury, Northampton (Nene), Croydon and St Martins art schools.
I then began my career in advertising as an art director. This involved conceptualising and controlling the look of national and international ad campaigns. Clients include everything from Halifax (pre 'Howard' campaign!) to Royal Mail, Nike to Safeways and Benylin to HP and I even wrote the Woolworths line - Well Worth It.
I now freelance, but thanks to the recession - work has dramatically diminished. This has however given me the chance to go back to my first love - painting and drawing. The first new painting was the Jackie Stewart piece. I even used an old credit card to paint much of the picture. It was certainly the only way I could use it now.
All in all it feels as though something has twigged. I have been given a chance to spend time painting. After months of deciding what the hell to paint, I naturally arrived at the idea of motor sport. And then, where better to exhibit than Brackley - right in the heart of the UK's motor sport industry. Along with wanting to create a different take on traditional motor sport art, hence more of a concentration on the drivers or the not so obvious racing scenes, I also loved the way I could handle the light - by using black and white. This also had another contributing effect of picking images bathed in sunlight; after all you have to always have the element of glamour in there. It is motor racing after all, and it's the coolest sport...by miles!