Being somewhat of a creative person and an amateur watercolour and oil artist, back in the 80's and 90's my mum used to provide my sister, brother and I with all sorts of creative bits and bobs - scissors, glue, glitter, sugar paper and other items.
We were very much encouraged to break open our creativity and let rip.
My brother and sister used to grab all the interesting bits and glue and cut and stick.
But my favourite was always plain white paper and a crayon or felt tip. I remember the feeling a blank piece of paper used to give me. The possibilities were, and still are; endless.
Very recently, upon seeing my new acrylic artwork, my mum remarked about the observational skills I had as young as four or five and how I used to draw things like Thomas the Tank Engine and trucks. The smoke stacks and wheels would have rudimentary ellipses and the fronts would be ellipsed at a three quarter view. A glaringly obvious step up from what other kids were doing at that age.
She actually gave them to me:
Makes me chuckle quietly when I look at them. I'm my own worst critic....😂
Cue a childhood of exploring and expanding my talents, entering competitions and trying out many types of media, from felt pens to clay and plaster work, scale models to draughtsmanship. I loved it all.
As I matured, and witnessed my mum painting sunflower fields in watercolour from the window of our farmhouse on holiday in the south of France, I realised that painting fine art is a way of expressing yourself whilst creating a scene of what you experience for others to enjoy and appreciate. My mums style is delicate yet bold at the same time. I always said she would make a wonderful storybook artist. Her paintings tell a story and hide a movement that shouldn't really show, but somehow it does:
My mum bought me a small watercolour set with a clip-together paintbrush and a pad of A5 paper and I was off. I painted from my bedroom window, I painted her Ford escort on the drive, I painted birds and cows and trees and really got to understand how to put an image onto to paper.
Then I discovered mountain bikes, girls, cigarettes and hanging out on the local playing fields, answering my lovely mum back and generally being a "bit of a shit"(to be spoken in my mums tone) for a few years.
Ah well, it's all part of the rich tapestry of puberty....
Let's just say art, whilst still within me, didn't exactly take prominence in my life for a long time, apart for a spell where I met a girl who taught me how to use acrylic paint on canvas. I much preferred the forgiving style of acrylics - you go wrong you paint it again. This however did wain very quickly when the relationship between us ended.
I became a construction worker, mainly because I didn't know what else to do and I found I was good at problem solving and using my hands. I became a father and the responsibility and time that takes from being able to enjoy a hobby.
Then at the start of 2023 as I perused Instagram, I came across the art of Thierry Duval, a fabulous French watercolour artist. He paints cityscapes of Paris and I have to say I think he is one of the greatest at his niche in the world.
Such beautiful work!
So I decided it was time, at 41 years old, to go out and buy brushes paint and a canvas. I found a photo I liked the look of and set off painting.
This is what I came up with:
No where near the realms of the work of Duval, but not bad for a 20 year hiatus!
I continued my quest and painted this from a photo I took in Dorset in August:
Then I decided to go big, with a large canvas and an image of one of the barns on our farm that my father in law built a few years ago:
This was the painting that finally made me realise that I wanted to ditch my toolbag and be an artist.
My current work is of the view across the river Severn in Bridgnorth, where I live. It's taken me a long time so far, having a full time job and painting and maintaining a relationship with my daughter and partner. But it's really coming together now. Hopefully by the next blog post it will be done and prints will be available.
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