In your own words, how would you describe your creative work?

I guess in some ways I would describe my work as traditional ie painting and drawing but then in other ways ie what I am painting and drawing its not traditional at all. Other than doing ‘A’ Level and GCSE Art at school I have had no training into doing this stuff and so I make it up as I go, mainly through trial and error. Since retiring last year and having a bit more time and being surrounded by more "creatives" I have started trying new techniques. That said it always comes back to creating a strong visual image that the viewer can connect with or be interested in.

When did you first discover your passion for art/writing/photography?

Ever since I can remember I have always "done" art. It was always a way of getting the pictures in my head out and onto paper. I always see things as images in my mind, creating my own or changing things I see into some thing exciting. When I was a kid we always got a packet of felt tips and a big pad of paper for Christmas or Birthday. My brother, cousin and I would spend ages copying Star Wars characters out of toy catalogues and colouring them in then cut them out and play out the scenes from the movie. I would spend a lot of my time reading comics in my youth. 2000AD, Battle and Action. The art work blew me away and I said to myself "I want to be able to do that" so I would make black and white pen drawings of the characters on the back of old Christmas cards. Its all developed from there really.

What's the creative process?

There's a couple of different ways I work really. The first is that I will get an image flash up in my head. I might be listening to music, I might dream it or I might see something like a view and think that's nice but I could change it and make it cooler. The pictures might sit in my head for years. My picture of the sword fighting Hares AKA The Young Pretender was in my head for about 6 years before it came out. I will generally do a pencil sketch on A4 before a picture ends up on a larger canvas or other surface. The other process is that I'll be chatting with someone and they'll say something or we might be trying to develop an idea and the image will appear in my head and then the way it gets made grows from there. That's how my recent "Day of the Dead" Mannequin came about. This has been a real advantage of having access to the St Georges Gallery and being able to talk to other creatives, for instance at Art is for All.

What does a typical day look like to you?

Generally quite chaotic, or that how it feels sometimes. I guess having had a major life change like retiring after a 25 year career and setting up your own business is going to take a while to find your feet. I do try and fit in at least a short time every day to do some scribbling or making.

What have you learned most about yourself in recent times?

I think it is that I can do art and sell it to people who are genuinely interested in it. At school my teachers would say I couldn't have a career in " the Arts" because I was only interested in drawing what I liked which was mainly aeroplanes, robots, super heros and Napoleonic soldiers. In the end I stopped doing anything much for about 20 years. Then I thought "You know what, lets get back on it", mainly to get the Fighting Hares out of my head!

Do you have any wisdom you can share with others who are thinking of launching a creative business?

Yeah, I would say, just get out there and do it if its what you enjoy, there will be other people out there who enjoy it to. It's hard work, but you will find them. I went to a workshop recently held by one of my favourite graphic novel artists. His work is amazing (I think), but he told me he spent 11 years driving buses having tried to be a professional artist. eventually he had had enough and he got back into art. He is now very successful but even that was hard graft. There's also an element of luck but sometimes you've got to make your own luck. 

What is on your mind right now?

Tax Returns. Seriously, if you want to make art a living you've got to do the boring mundane stuff too!! I try and keep it to a minimum but its still got to be done. I tend to do a bit of spread sheets and also have a scrap of paper for scribbling on next to me. Turn it into a creative activity. 

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