I
have enjoyed drawing and painting from an early age, as you can see from
the photo. Unfortunately, as with many artists, it took several years
before my work was fully appreciated by the critics. Some of my early work,
in particular my first mural (an expressionistic effort of handprints in
black poster paint on the lounge wall), was particularly poorly received
by my parents.
Undeterred, I continued to enjoy art throughout my GCSE and A Level years before going on to study for my Foundation Certificate in Art and Design at the University of Westminster. Following some time spent as a Gallery Attendant at the Royal Academy of Arts, I went on to study for a BA (Hons) in Technical Theatre Arts at the Arden School of Theatre (University of Manchester) which gave me the opportunity to specialise in theatre design and scenic painting. After graduating I painted scenery for various productions in the North West as well as designing and painting murals on site for companies such as Asda and Trafford NHS Trust, amongst others.
In 1998 I was offered a job in Stage Management, which lead to work in theatres around the country including, most recently, Unicorn and Polka Theatres for Children in London. However, after five enjoyable years of stage management I realised that only having the opportunity to paint in my spare time wasn’t enough, so I took the decision to leave theatre and concentrate on building up my own mural painting business. Since 2003 I have been lucky enough to work with some very imaginative clients on projects that have enabled me to really test my design and painting skills.
You can view a selection of murals, canvases and portraits commissioned over the past two years in the portfolio which I hope will give an idea of the variety of painting styles I can offer. I welcome the opportunity to meet any new painting challenge so no matter what artistic ideas you have, I hope to be able to help you realise them.