"we fight each other while it devours us" Belgium June 2017

Out in Belgium again painting in the village of Werchter for north west walls. A huge beast thats slowly picking people off its back and devouring them without a fight. The people instead just fight each other. Take whatever meaning you like but for me at this particular time i felt like the beast was the main stream media. Great opportunity to paint these vast sculptural objects designed and curated by Arne Quinze

West Didsbury Manchester. May 2017

I travelled up to manchester and enjoyed some rare sunny weather as i painted a gable end for the lovely Mathew Ludlam foundation.

Dulwich picture gallery. April 25th 2017

Time to catch up on this blog again. Busy year painting murals. I'm now settling myself in for some studio work. I've been trying unsuccessfully for the past three years to work on my etchings prints and handmade books in between mural work. I've decided to take a bit of time to really get some projects finished in the studio. I've also had a few really big breakthroughs in the way i do my etching and engraving. I feel like i'm on the brink of pushing that side of my work to a much higher standard.
      New shop page at the top of this page anticipating me actually selling some things for a change. It also has a real newsletter sign up form. Even if you are on my (almost never used) email list i'd recommend signing up via this. I'm slowly trying to get my affairs in order here so please bear with me.

      This spring I got invited by the Dulwich picture gallery to paint on some hoardings as they built their summer pavilion. I decided on something sequential showing architectural elements being overcome by nature and decay. Something i deal with a lot in my mural work and also something i find interesting in old paintings and etchings. I'm interested in cycles of decay with monuments and buildings. Nature can often envelop structures over and over again through time. Wars, gentrification, political changes and fashions can mean buildings can drift in and out of times of care and disrepair. I often like to think about my murals being a brief flourish in the life of a building. A moment of energy in an often dead space.

Ostend, Belgium April 2017

Ok. At last i'm back in real time on this blog. Lots of paintings, book work and prints all coming to fruition this year, so it should be a good one. I took a lot of time to myself to experiment and work in private the past year or so. I had to withdraw from being so on show for a while so i could work on some ideas. I feel really energised for my work now i've had the time to build a few foundations for future work. I've unlocked something and feel more driven than i think i ever have. I've always felt art should be passionate, and to see someone's work become a commodity or bland is a very present fear once being an artist becomes a job. If i'm not working with a fire in my belly then i know i'd just stop.
      I've been giving much more time to planning future graphic novels and book work connected to the stories suggested in my murals. I think i often forget how tightly these two things are interconnected. The more i develop narratives in my books, the more natural and intuitive my mural work feels.
      I also want to continue to dedicate more time to my print studio. I've managed to get my copper plate etching up to a standard i'm really proud of since the last run i released. I'd like at least one edition out this year that's a bit easier for people to buy. I'm going to set more time aside to do a big edition size.

So thats enough of me rambling. Here is the work i've just done for the crystal ship 2017 in ostend Belgium. Credit to Ian Cox for the first photo of me sketching the work from the lift.

Jacksonville, Florida - USA

A nice break painting in a warmer climate of Florida for art republic

Sheffield - UK

Back home to sheffield to paint for feature walls
photo credits to Ladoza

Lexington, Kentucky - USA.

Fun in Lexington Kentucky for Prhbtn 

Reykjavik - Iceland

Painting in slightly more hostile conditions compared to Canada! Astonishingly beautiful place to be able to paint. Walking home at night watching the Northern lights. Painted for Wall Poetry 2016.

Photo credits to Nika Kramer

Toronto - Canada.

This was a pretty epic project with steps initiative and the city of Toronto last summer.  

photo credit to Paul Salvatori for this last photo. Taken during a large fire across the street.

Birmingham, UK.

I painted this one for the city of colours festival.
Photo credit to Neil Patterson.