I went to college to study Fashion but left after a couple of years to train as a Textile Designer,
with one of the main Studios in Manchester and was lucky enough to have many visits and further training in the French Ateliers in Paris and Lyons, Como in Italy and connections with Krefeld in Germany......
The Studio taught design in the old apprenticeship method, starting with the basics of pencil drawing and tracings, progressing to colour work and the repeating of designs.... to full on creating originals................... There was a strict hierarchy within the studio, the head designer would get his work completed by the juniors and less creative designers may spend their whole careers as finishers and colourists. All designers would be hidden away and only the owners or head of design would see the clients in the showroom. Poaching of designers was very common and designers themselves would try to do" work on the side"..............
My influences during this time would be the pioneers of the Arts and Crafts movement, as I was in complete amazement at how these artists could produce so much work in their lifetime................... C.R. Mackintosh and his style of Art Nouveau and of course the Pre Raphaelites with one of the most iconic paintings "Works" by Ford Maddox Brown being an early influence as I used to see this picture as a child in the Manchester Art Gallery. Other influences included the Symbolist illustrators, Aubrey Beardsley, Sulamith Wulfing, and others.
Many years working in the independent design studios ran parallel to working within a manufacturing environment, both in the UK and Overseas. South Africa and Zimbabwe in the early days and more recent years, Pakistan when the manufacturing all but disappeared in the UK..............................These manufacturing plants consisted of printing, dyeing, finishing and makeup of the product. Usually Textiles for the home and some wallpapers. ................................
the studio days and the learning of my trade was one of my happiest times. ................. my main influences were forming........ the French Decorative Arts....... Redoute, the botanical floral artist, the Dutch masters especially the Dutch floral painters, Acrimboldo, an enduring influence........ the list is endless. ........... I also became very interested in in Ethnic and Tribal art, briefly doing some designs for the West African apparel market which quite often was produced in Holland, UK or France. ..... "Imi Batiks" as they were known [ imitation batik ] or Indigo's.
Then the "Champagne 80s" arrived and my lifestyle reflected it............ more travel to more exotic places .... Brazil, Bangkok, Hong Kong.......... as well as Las Vegas, San Francisco, New York. Not to mention endless visits to London and Paris taking in a gallery or a show almost every week............. Cruises on the Caribbean, Glamorous European cities like Rome, Madrid, Vienna.............. I was very interested in the Viennese Secession movement....... Beautiful decorative Klimt, Toorop and even the slightly disturbing images of Schiele................ More influences, and more art forms to work on............. The World is full of Treasures........................
During the years of the 90s, I was studying the History of Modern Art as an evening course, becoming interested in Modernist architecture and furniture design of Le Corbusier and his contemporaries........ Industrial design.... The Bauhaus, Art Deco, The Russian Avant Garde, Cubism...... Geometry in general............. "What was not to love?"............... More Work in Progress........
After I returned from two years living in Pakistan where I worked for a Textile Mill setting up a design studio, training local designers and creating collections for International markets........ I decided to leave the industry and I took a short course in Interior Design.
Over the last 6 years or so I have been working as an Interior Designer , creating colour schemes, styling window dressings, general soft furnishings, for people that could afford the service. However I was using the fabrics and products that I used to design and I started to grieve for designing and painting . So in the Autumn of 2009 I made a decision to create my own lifestyle to see where it would lead.
"The Final Chapter"........... [ of this book anyway]
I now live in an English stone cottage in a small village in the north of England. An area which has so much natural beauty and is not far from the famous Roman Hadrians wall and the nearby coastline boasts Castles every few miles........... Beautiful Bamburgh Castle overlooking an unspoilt beach and the sea. .......... A far cry from the Dark Days of the 70s.
However, at least once a month I am lured back to the urban environment in order to breath in the slightly cleaner air than the past and regenerate and stimulate my creative energy.... being a "Townie" at heart. ...........
What is in store for the future?.................. I have many ideas, and I am bursting to realise these ideas.......... just scratching the surface at the moment............... I shall expand the Passion flower Theme........ more floral "Stories" in general............ some of my art shall incorporate textile patterns........ modular ideas....... more decoration, possibly..... some geometry/abstract... and ethnic elements........ Surreal twists, symbolism.........photographic images, when I feel comfortable with the technology........................ Watch this Space........
I Thank you all for listening to my voice...... where I am still trying to discover the full vocabulary and the even the language............ all of this is very much ...... Work in Progress"
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