Reflecting Back Looking Forward

Last weekend took a trip to London to refuel, re energise and take some time out of the studio. 

 Throughout the winter I have been in my workshop working incredibly hard and haven’t taken a breath!

 I visited the London Print Fair and, my old haunt, the Royal Academy of Arts. When I was younger, I had a job setting up the London Print Fair as a student. It bought back some great memories and feelings.  I thought this would be great to try and capture and share with you. 

 For those of you that know me, you will know that I am a man of very few words and as a creative person I rely on the things that I make to communicate with people and the world around me. 

 I am part of the RA alumni, this allows me free access to the galleries at the Royal Academy.  I decided to visit the Spain and the Hispanic World exhibition while I was there. This is not something that I would normally be drawn to, however, I was compelled to go in.  

 As I wondered around the Spanish art galleries pondering the high level of 15th century Spanish craftsmanship, it reminded me of when I used to sit in my quiet studio located just below the main galleries in Burlington house, listening to the slow melodic clip clopping of peoples heels on the floor above me, they would wander past the blockbuster exhibitions of the time like Monet and Sensation. It always made me smile when these two worlds would collide.

 When I was a student, I would wander up to the front of house to see the latest exhibition in my lunch break in my filthy paint stained studio clothes people looking at me as if I had just landed from Mars.

 It was always almost inconceivable for me to believe that I had gained a place to study at the RA schools being that at the time they only took three sculpture students every year from hundreds to study on the 3 year postgraduate course. 

 I remember walking in to my interview to be introduced to Professor Phillip King PRA, someone who I had learned about in my art history lessons before as a god for changing the modern sculpture landscape. 

 Already nervous, I wasn’t prepared for who I was about to meet.  I fumbled my words trying to explain my work, I wasn’t sure that any thing that came out my mouth made any sense.

 Professor King was a kind warm and gentle man, I could see he was trying to calm me down as he stroked his white beard with a confused look on his face. 

 I walked out of the interview convinced that I had messed up my one opportunity to further my sculpture education. I will never forget, as I sat outside in the school’s corridor what seemed like forever waiting to collect my portfolio looking at the old sculpture casts and busts yellowed from the clouds of cigarette smoke from students and staff (yes it is hard to believe a time that it was ok to smoke in an art studio filled with flammable materials in a building hosing some of the world’s most famous artworks). 

 As Phillip walked out the interview, room he smiled at me and gave me a knowing wink.

 The next three years of my life were a whirl wind of experiences meeting many of my hero’s from the art world, TV personalities, pop stars and even Royalty. 

 I was fortunate enough to have been awarded a Henry Moore scholarship and was sponsored by Time Out magazine to study at the Royal Academy Schools.   I was able to learn from the best and really enjoyed my time.  Always the first person in every morning and kicked out at 8pm when the studios closed.  I got to know all the staff well. I can remember chatting to Norman Ackroyd CBE RA, about printmaking he then invited me to come and learn the process and have a go. I was instantly hooked, he spoke so passionately about aquatint and the effect of the ink on the etching plate in a strong Yorkshire accent. 

 For me, the process was very like sculpture the way that I could manipulate the metal to hold the ink burnishing and etching the plate. 

 My first print editions were a sell out in the Summer Exhibition and I continued to make more during my time at the schools which I exhibited alongside my large-scale sculptures. 

 As I looked around the Print Fair seeing works by many of my past tutors it reminded me of the forgotten processes and connection to my creative expression. 

 Now that I am working alone in my studio and currently reorganising it, I hope to introduce prints again one day.

 It has been an incredibly difficult few years with navigating my way through the pandemic, cost of materials, electricity bills and supply shortages.  Despite these challenges, I realise now more than ever that I have to keep energised, think creatively and continue to produce high quality artwork.

 I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support through, what has been the most difficult times in our lives.