When did you first become interested in art?
Probably when I made my first aged treasure map for school, soaking the paper with a teabag and burning the edges; loving to do things like that shaped me into a creative type. I’ve always looked at things with an artistic eye and that is thanks to my parents.
How would you describe your design style?
My style is layered and heavy, fixing abstract shaped paint with a controlled linear; each piece is human error meeting the playfulness of paint.
What inspires you?
Inspiration comes from colours and shapes, triangles being my favourite. The artwork that initially attracted me was simple and linear. Egon Schiele was an absolute favourite, even though his work can seem harsh and vulgar his lines are so beautiful. However I’m now drawn much more to the detail of bigger work, its colour and the layering process.
What is your favourite piece in your collection?
My favourite product has to be the Vivienne teacup as it is so wonderfully weird. Frida however, is still my favourite painting.
Is there any artistic talent in your family?
Mum can make absolutely anything yes! Dad is very hands on and practical so the balance and best of both worlds is available to advise and inspire me.
What is the journey you take to produce your work?
I make plenty of mistakes and I sit and look at the pieces a lot, they have to be livable. The reason Frida is still my favourite painting is probably because she has been hung on my kitchen wall for over a year now and I don’t want to change anything about her.
What made you want to be a part of Art Rookie?
Their passion and support for emerging British artists is so strong. They have a huge variety of talent to choose from and the founders are extremely interested in you and your work. You feel supported which is really special when you’re a one-man band most days of the week!
When you’re not creating masterpieces what do you enjoy doing?
I love home shopping or at the theatre. I also love to travel, especially when I’m flying my artwork out to a new country!
Have you faced any struggles getting your work noticed?
I think the struggle comes in finding a balance when promoting ‘you’. All day you promote and use social media to make sure your content is getting seen, and it really is a time consuming job, but the balance of doing this behind the scenes work whilst getting enough painting done is the tricky part. I think there is an audience out there for all artists now and the Internet has made connecting the dots very easy, but if you’re in this alone you need to be conscious of keeping the balance.
Where would we find you hanging out in the UK?
Around the Northern Quarter or Spinningfields. Manchester has some really cool places to socialise and if I visit Salford Quays I really like seeing what The Lowry has on offer. Saying that, on a sunny day you can’t beat going to the seaside.
What makes British talent different than elsewhere?
I think Britain has seen a real boom in recent years in appreciating the quality to any form of creation being handmade. Consumers are really getting on board with local sourced produce, buying from their independent stores or family run businesses and getting to know, maybe even meet the maker of an item they’ve fallen in love with enough to buy. It makes our market really special and I think it encourages young entrepreneurs with exceptional talent to try out their craft before going down a more educationally traditional route.
What are your plans for 2015?
Next year I’d like to have a bigger studio and work on an even bigger scale!
