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6. How long have you been an artist for?
p>I've been drawing all my life. I started painting in the very early 90's when my parents bought me a beginner’s guide to painting. I then started copying Helen Allingham country cottage scenes with my watercolours, and I did that right up until around 1996, when I then turned to painting my own pictures of ruins and country houses. For the next three years I painted very little but while in Devon I started to use acrylic paints.In 2000 when I moved back up North, I started to practice my painting again. I joined an historical re-enactment society and when attending the re-enactors markets, I noticed numerous historical reproductions of furniture and tapestries, but no reproduction historical portraits. My interest in those old portraits was reignited.
Five years ago, I decided to give acrylics a rest and paint my historic portraits in oils as they would be more authentic. I really struggled with oils to begin with, but I got used to them, and quickly started to paint my reproduction portraits. I later experimented with landscapes in oils. This year I decided to take the plunge, with the help of my girlfriend, to set up a professional website promoting my landscapes and historic art.
7. What are your ambitions as an artist?
I would like to keep reproducing close replicas of the portraits as they are something very close to my heart. My landscapes will keep coming and I want to further my stained glass window skills and picture frame making.
My long term plan is to have my own workshop where I can practice these art forms as well as having an art gallery selling other artists work. My landscapes I would like to see in various galleries as well as on my website and in print form.
8. What exhibitions have you participated in?
I have not really participated in that many but I did enter the National Portrait Competition in 2008 and have taken part in a local arts as well as a crafts exhibition at Repton in Derbyshire this year.
