Cast of Crabs
I am a pastel artist, and I work in a traditional, realistic style, almost exclusively drawing animals. I live in West Norfolk, although I grew up in Kent. I have always been an animal lover; I grew up with lots of small pets and my mum worked with horses. I have also loved drawing since I was very young – my favourite place to visit on my birthday was always the Natural History Museum. Read more …
Horses rolling , Iceland
I was given my first camera, a Brownie 127, at the age of eight, and a lifelong passion began. My well-worn early photo albums display tiny black and white images of family and friends, a succession of pets, and memories of Cornish beach holidays with crooked horizons and eyes squinting against the sun.
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‘Leaving Lines’ acrylic and graphite on paper
I was a kid who was always drawing, and it sometimes got me into trouble. It was compulsive and at school my ‘doodles’ were not appreciated especially when they appeared on a variety of surfaces. Though later art teachers were more encouraging. I left home and school and only occasionally drew or painted thereafter. I have a BA in film and photography but life took many different turns.
‘Impermanence’ from ‘Permanence — Impermanence’ Wighton 2024
I love anything that is new and different. That said, I love sculpting in any of the traditional ways. When I was at university, I wanted to learn everything — every style, every technique. I remember mentioning this to one of my professors. His horrified response was, “You’re talking about a universal education!” “Yes,” I thought to myself.
‘Gilbert and Sullivan were here, Thumbing’
My artistic journey, like many has been long and varied, I don’t remember when I first picked up a brush, for a long time I painted the usual subjects, landscapes and seascapes but never felt entirely satisfied, I had always studied art and been interested in the European and American modernists, then in 2013 our youngest daughter died, this altered my course entirely Read more …
I have always been drawn to creative pursuits; I am happy making and doing! I have never had any formal training in art & picked up inspiration from many places, some of the old Dutch masters or classical animal artists, and my dad. Dad is an accomplished artist and helps and inspires me more than he knows. Anything creative has always been outside of my day job which began as a Grenadier Guardsman in the British Army, where I would draw during quiet evenings.
Distant trees
Initially, when I was asked to write a piece for the WNAA newsletter, I was slightly alarmed, but then I realised it is good to seize the opportunity and share a flavour of my day as an artist, digging down a bit, into what it feels like to stretch my skill set daily and hopefully help someone else along the way.
Life-drawing session Sketch charcoal on paper (A2) and wax maquettes
My creative work spreads across a variety of media both 2D and 3D but whether printing, painting, ceramics or sculpture, the process always starts with drawing.
I’ve always drawn, when I was nine years old, I won a Typhoo Tea competition with a drawing of teacups and lions in a desert! Often humour is still to be found in my work, particularly my ceramics, sculptures and Christmas card. Studying technical subjects instead of fine art meant that whilst raising children, I continued drawing even though mainly straight lines for planning applications.
Holme Beach, acrylic
Why do I paint? It’s in the genes I suppose as I come from a creative family and loved to watch my maternal grandfather produce amazing paintings.
No technology and mobile phones in my childhood. I learnt to sew, play the piano, draw and most of all look. Sketch books are the most essential part of my life. I still carry one around just in case I get a moment to capture an idea that could be used in a painting.
Scotland 2, soft pastel
Drawing has been my greatest passion from a young age. I achieve a great deal of self-worth and enjoyment from drawing.
My usual way of working has been to create detailed pencil drawings, but recently I have decided to try a less labor-intensive approach, focusing more on mark making and colour than tiny detail. A trip around Scotland last summer inspired this new approach. Read more …