Frequently Asked Questions Number 1

Inevitably over the years, talking to people about my art, I often get asked the same questions. So I thought it would be interesting to answer some of those questions here, especially for those of you who are not likely to come to Barnard Castle to ask me in person. So here is FAQ Number 1...

How long have you been painting?
Well this FAQ comes with several variations, often along the lines of were you good at art at school, have you always been good at drawing, or where did you train?
The answer is that I have always enjoyed drawing… as a child I would be scolded for drawing ballerinas in the end pages of books. I didn’t come from a home where there was a lot of money for drawing materials and paper, but I have a belief that all children love drawing at least until they reach an age where they worry about whether they are ‘good’ at it. 
I was privileged by the 11+ to attend a very academic school. One of the drawbacks though was that Art as a subject hardly featured, and was not regarded as a proper subject for study. After school I ended up studying language and philosophy at a university rather than an Art School, so I was more qualified to discuss the nature of art rather than produce it! 

One of my early watercolour paintings

​But some 25 or so years ago I signed up for a botanical painting evening class, having little idea what botanical painting was about, although I knew I liked flowers. I quickly grew to love this though I have long since moved on from this very precise method of painting. Having moved to Barnard Castle, I took some correspondence drawing courses with the Open College of the Arts, which were excellent. I got really good feedback from an excellent tutor who encouraged me to a much freer method of expression. Since then, I have largely developed my painting style through experimentation. The joy and satisfaction from my successes carries me on through the frustration of failure and I’m glad I never submitted myself to grades or passes and failures!