My thanks go out to Manchester Art Gallery for showing interest in my work and recognising me as an emerging artist.
I was inspired by their enthusiasm and have now developed my portfolio into a series of prints concentrating on the buildings in and around Manchester City Centre.
Getting started…
The illustrations started as a set of map icons and took me back into the City I have grown up with, and worked in for over 30 years.
The "brief " to myself was to cut back the detail of the buildings and leave an easily identifiable image in one colour.
Back to basics
To solve the brief I returned to the traditional techniques I was taught at art school and my early career as a commercial artist and visualiser. I then started researching the art created by commercial artists from the mid 20th Century, how their style developed and was dictated by the printing technology of the time.
For many years, the skyline of Manchester was anchored by a single, monolithic giant: the CIS Tower. Completed in 1962, it wasn’t just a skyscraper; it was a manifesto of the “International Style,” brought to the North by Gordon Tait...
Walking down The Village, it is impossible to miss The Priest House. With its intricate timber framing and slightly leaning facade, it stands as a silent witness to centuries of our local history. It is the definitive postcard image of...
As you walk through the bustling heart of Manchester city centre, past the vibrant shop windows and the endless flow of commuters, it’s easy to overlook the architectural stories held within our most familiar landmarks. We often see the activity...
Thomas Ward & Sons Ltd, were manufacturers of the “Wardonia” range of shaving items. This artwork is based on my collection of Point of Sale items that were produced for Wardonia. I have re-created the artwork in a series of...
