My Art Journey
Early Years
I was born in Gorton, a suburb of Manchester, in 1971 moving to Mossley at seven — a former cotton mill town tucked into the Pennines, with moorland rising on all sides and a sky that feels bigger than anywhere else. I loved art and music at school, but when the careers officer wasn't much help, I started a band and went into the family building trade instead. Something always felt missing, though I couldn't quite name it.
Dark Times
At twenty-five I was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Just before my wedding, a second tumour was found — more serious, needing immediate surgery. We were told having children would be unlikely. It was a lot to carry.
A New Beginning
During recovery, someone gave me a watercolour set. Painting became my therapy. As confidence grew I began showing work at local venues and art fairs in Manchester — and selling those early pieces meant more to me than I can say. I found a studio in a former cotton mill, no heating, no walls, leaking windows, and used my building skills to make it my own. Rough around the edges, but I was proud of it.
Finding My Voice
With no training, no connections and no money, I became my own PR — sending work to magazines and editors, hoping something would land. Visits to local allotments introduced me to characters who inspired a whole body of work I'd return to for a decade. A BBC researcher spotted those paintings in the Telegraph and invited me onto Gardeners' World. The day we filmed in Birmingham, my wife and I found out we were expecting our son. After the show aired, I sold all my works overnight. Our son Drew arrived in 2009 and became our world — he became a regular at the studio with me where he developed his own unique art style.
Counting Blessings
After two cancer scares, a close call during the Twin Towers attacks and emergency back surgery, I reassessed everything. I threw myself into a new body of work — Northern Lights — capturing that magic hour when light fades over the Pennines. Over 250 paintings. An ITV-filmed exhibition in Manchester sold out completely. I finally felt like I'd made it.
Keep Going
The post-pandemic years were tough — running an independent art business is hard, and I won't pretend otherwise. But there are moments of real joy in between. Appearing on Sky Arts' Landscape Artist of the Year in 2025 reminded me what happens when you step outside your comfort zone and go for it.
What's Next
A recent house move has inspired a new body of work — Edge of the City — painting the Pennine edges looking out over the sprawling city of Manchester. A solo exhibition is planned at Salford Art Gallery for late 2026.
Giving Back
Alongside my studio practice, I run a youth community arts project called Routes to Roots - A Platform For Art - now in partnership with the Transpennine Upgrade team and Network Rail — working towards what will be the longest art exhibition in the UK. Seeing young people find their voice and display their work in public spaces is something I'm genuinely proud of.
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