AUGUST 2023 - Well here we are in August already! The Eurovision celebrations seem to be a distant memory. After the celebrations finished, the Radisson RED hotel notified me that they would like to continue to feature my work in their foyer, and they would also like to host my Liverpool Icons exhibition at a future date.
I'm currently working on the sixth icon in the Icons series; all to be kept under wraps until the Autumn. I am delighted that Pete Price has kindly offered to act as host for the event. Dates and details to follow.
I'm currently working on the sixth icon in the Icons series; all to be kept under wraps until the Autumn. I am delighted that Pete Price has kindly offered to act as host for the event. Dates and details to follow.
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MAY 2023 - May has proved to be a hectic and exciting month! In the lead-up to Eurovision I was interviewed about my work by both Capital Radio and the Wirral Globe.
I had a short break from painting to soak up the Eurovision atmosphere in Liverpool city centre. The vibe in the city was amazing; it was wonderful to see thousands of people from all over the world enjoying our amazing city. It made me so proud to be an "adopted scouser". My Mersey Eurovision study, which Pete Price encouraged me to paint, sold to an enthusiastic collector of my work. My prints and merchandise now include items that are based on this study. I have now returned to working on my Liverpool Icons series of paintings, which will appear in a solo exhibition later this year. I hope to be able to tell you more about them soon. |
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20th APRIL 2023 - I'm delighted to learn that Pete Price has written a piece about me for his Liverpool Echo column. When someone as busy as Pete writes about you, it's quite an accolade! Click here to read the full article.
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15th APRIL 2023 - Only halfway through the month and things have been moving so quickly! I met up with Gary Waring at the Radisson RED hotel again and handed over the prints and merchandise that will be showcased in the hotel's fabulous entrance lobby.
Shortly after I returned from the Radisson RED, I was contacted by Lesley Butler who asked if I would be a guest on Billy Butler's Saturday morning show on Liverpool Live radio. I was delighted to be able to spend some time with Billy (and his lovely wife Lesley of course). |
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MAR 2023 - After a very successful and friendly meeting with Gary Waring the General Manager of the prestigious Radisson RED hotel in Liverpool city centre, I have been given the opportunity to exhibit my work in the hotel's fabulous entrance lobby. The hotel has a great vibe and is filled with the most amazing collection of art and quirky objects. I am so flattered that Gary likes my work and that it will now become part of the hotel's collection.
In addition, the wonderful Pete Price is currently promoting my work in the lead-up to Eurovision. Pete is planning to publicise my work in his weekly column in the Liverpool Echo. He also has some ambitious new plans for me - watch this page for further details! |
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FEB 2023 - This month I have been offered some great opportunities to exhibit my work and to get involved with exciting upcoming events on Merseyside. In preparation I am currently working on a series of paintings with the theme "Liverpool Icons". All the people who feature in this series of portraits will be personalities who have a special place in the hearts of the people of Liverpool.
As a sneak preview - here's one I made earlier. |
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JAN 2023 - This month has been fairly busy. As a break from from working on my latest painting, I delivered some inspirational talks to the children of Childer Thornton Primary School. The school made me so welcome and the children were so enthusiastic; I enjoyed myself just as much as they did. They are now working on some art projects based on some of my work; I can't wait to see the results!
Towards the end of the month I spoke to one of the friendly team at Gordale Garden Centre on the Wirral peninsula and they agreed to stock some of my merchandise. Gordale is a fantastic outlet and I am delighted that they like my work.
I've also had some very interesting discussions about future projects. I'm currently keeping it under wraps, but keep checking my website for updates!
Towards the end of the month I spoke to one of the friendly team at Gordale Garden Centre on the Wirral peninsula and they agreed to stock some of my merchandise. Gordale is a fantastic outlet and I am delighted that they like my work.
I've also had some very interesting discussions about future projects. I'm currently keeping it under wraps, but keep checking my website for updates!
NOV 2022 - This month I attended a charity Christmas fair in aid of Wirral Holistic Care Services. I was first told about the work of this wonderful organisation by my friend Yvette Marsden-Beckett (Gerry Marsden's daughter). The multi-talented Pauline Daniels is also a patron and is actively involved in all their fundraising events and activities.
I recently spent time with Pauline who also told me about her work as an ambassador for Journeymen CIC, a local organisation that provides support and help for men who might otherwise be lost in the mental health crisis.
I recently spent time with Pauline who also told me about her work as an ambassador for Journeymen CIC, a local organisation that provides support and help for men who might otherwise be lost in the mental health crisis.
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SEPT 2022 - This month began with a fascinating trip to Uzbekistan. I didn't know what to expect when we went there but the whole trip was inspirational - fascinating architecture, colourful mosaics and textiles, friendly people, lots of shopping and lovely food. The following image shows the main square in Bukhara at night; a magical place!
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After the holiday I paid my final visit to the Blue Moon gallery; the closure of the gallery is the end of an era for Heswall. I am so sad to see Sue Webster go but she deserves a relaxing retirement! A new local gallery - The Lake Gallery - has just opened in West Kirby so I am sure that the owners will continue to showcase the wealth of artistic talent that we have in Wirral.
AUGUST 2022 - This month has brought the sad news that my good friend Sue Webster, owner of the Blue Moon gallery in Heswall has decided to retire. Sue was one of the first gallery owners that I approached when I started to work as a professional artist; her support and encouragement has greatly contributed to my success. Sue has championed some amazing local artists, and the local community in Heswall and Wirral has lost a fantastic resource. Over the years Sue has become a treasured friend so I am lucky to be able to say that we will still see each other on a regular basis.
MAY 2022 - May has proved to be a bit of a whirlwind! After I was interviewed by Pete Price he kindly invited me to join him for lunch. We had a lovely afternoon with lots to talk about and plenty of laughs. Following on from our lunch, Pete invited me and my partner to an event that he was hosting; it was the book launch for Suzan Holder's debut romantic comedy novel "Shake It Up Beverley". It is a hysterical, laugh out loud account of the main character's quest to find love in the suburbs of Liverpool.
The evening was so much fun; Suzan was delightful and we were lucky enough to meet up with Pete again (charm personified) and a number of other celebrities who you might recognise!
The evening was so much fun; Suzan was delightful and we were lucky enough to meet up with Pete again (charm personified) and a number of other celebrities who you might recognise!
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APRIL 2022 - I've had so much interest in my work since my interview with the lovely Pete Price and now one of my favourite gallery owners, Sue Webster of the Blue Moon Gallery in Heswall, is featuring an entire window of my work!
MARCH 2022 - March was an inspiring month: On the 6th of March I was privileged to be interviewed by the legendary Pete Price on his radio show on Liverpool Live Radio. I really enjoyed the experience; I admire Pete greatly as a broadcaster and I have followed his career for many years. You can click to play the interview here.
In March I also attended the memorial service for the much missed Gerry Marsden. Gerry's family had initially been unable to have a public service to celebrate his life because of the Covid pandemic. I was honoured to have been invited by his daughter Yvette to attend the service at Liverpool's Anglican cathedral. It was a day I will never forget and it was a fitting tribute to a truly wonderful man.
FEBRUARY 2022 - I continued to work on my study of the Liverpool waterfront, completing it just before the end of the month. I was also delighted to receive a message from a famous celebrity inviting me to be a guest on his radio show. Watch this space for further details.
JANUARY 2022 - 2021 ended sadly with the death of my partner's father just before Christmas. We all needed to come to terms with our loss and I really didn't feel like painting for a while. I took up my brushes again at the end of January and I'm working on a large acrylic study of the Liverpool waterfront.
NOVEMBER 2021 - While I was on holiday in Cornwall in September I received a phone call from Nigel Lanceley DL the High Sheriff of Merseyside. His wife had seen my work in the Blue Moon Gallery and he asked if I would consider designing their Christmas cards for this year. We had a very productive meeting to discuss his requirements and I am pleased to say that he was delighted with the end result. I must also give credit to Johnsons Cards of Nantwich who kept us informed through the whole process and produced a wonderful end result.
SEPTEMBER 2021 - I have just returned from a lovely holiday on the Lizard peninsula in Cornwall. It has always been an inspirational place to visit, partly because of the phenomenal number of artists who live and work there.
During our visit I was lucky enough to meet Sally Tully, a hugely talented ceramicist who was one of the contenders for this year's Great Pottery Throw Down. Sal's studio is located at Roskilly's dairy farm near Coverack on the Lizard peninsula. Lee, one of Sal's fellow contestants in the programme, has relocated to Cornwall and now works with her in the studio. I was so glad to have met both of them and I managed to spend a portion of my holiday budget on a few lovely pieces of Sal's work.
During our visit I was lucky enough to meet Sally Tully, a hugely talented ceramicist who was one of the contenders for this year's Great Pottery Throw Down. Sal's studio is located at Roskilly's dairy farm near Coverack on the Lizard peninsula. Lee, one of Sal's fellow contestants in the programme, has relocated to Cornwall and now works with her in the studio. I was so glad to have met both of them and I managed to spend a portion of my holiday budget on a few lovely pieces of Sal's work.
AUGUST 2021 - My partner and I spent a happy couple of hours in the company of two lovely ladies - Pauline Marsden (Gerry's wife) and their daughter Yvette, who came to collect a few of my ferry prints. We reminisced about Gerry and the Liverpool music scene and we also talked about his charitable work. Yvette is very involved in the Wirral Holistic Care Services organisation, a charity that supports cancer sufferers and their families in Wirral. Her Dad was a patron until his untimely death earlier this year. I am hoping to get involved in some fundraising activities to support this worthy cause soon.
JULY 2021 - I've had a busy couple of months, during which I have created a couple of large seascape studies of the local Wirral coastline. I'm delighted to say that I've had really positive feedback from the people who have seen my new creations. Changing my subject has also allowed me to return to using my fine art techniques and style.
I have also released a new range of all occasion greeting cards, which are available in sets of 4 in my shop. You can also purchase these cards individually from my favourite galleries - the Blue Moon Gallery in Heswall, Merseymade art cafe in Liverpool city centre and Concept Corner in New Brighton.
I have also released a new range of all occasion greeting cards, which are available in sets of 4 in my shop. You can also purchase these cards individually from my favourite galleries - the Blue Moon Gallery in Heswall, Merseymade art cafe in Liverpool city centre and Concept Corner in New Brighton.
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APRIL 2021 - I have just completed my latest ferry painting "You'll Never Walk Alone". It is my tribute to Liverpool legend Gerry Marsden. The original painting has already but I have limited edition, signed giclee prints in my online shop. Prints are also available from the Blue Moon Gallery in Heswall, Wirral (0151 342 6657) and the Merseymade art cafe in Liverpool city centre (0151 271 7025).
MARCH 2021 - I'm delighted to have been invited by Yorkshire based DJ Andy Rankine to appear on his drive time show!
FEBRUARY 2021 - Since the start of the pandemic I have joined a number of local Facebook groups and had plenty of online interaction with lots of interesting people. One such person is local author Carol Wainwright, who I met on the Liverpool Happy Memories Facebook group. Carol wrote the wonderful book "Sing Us A Song Ma, Before We Say Goodbye", which is a lively and extremely moving memoir of her father's childhood in war-torn Liverpool.
In the past year Carol and I have struck up a great friendship and had (as Cilla would have said) "a lorra laughs". At the beginning of 2021 Carol decided that she would like to commission me to paint a montage depicting many of the things that made the group special to her.
In the past year Carol and I have struck up a great friendship and had (as Cilla would have said) "a lorra laughs". At the beginning of 2021 Carol decided that she would like to commission me to paint a montage depicting many of the things that made the group special to her.
JANUARY 2021 - It was a sad start to the year to learn of the death of our local legend Gerry Marsden. I met him many years ago when I worked at the Cavern Club in Liverpool and he was the nicest man that you could wish to meet. In more recent years Gerry's lyrics inspired me to create my first ever ferry painting "Life Goes On". I was later contacted by his daughter Yvette, who told me how much her father liked my work. In October 2019 Gerry signed several of my prints to raise funds for a local children's hospice. A lovely, talented man who always stayed faithful to Liverpool. My heart goes out to his family and friends.
NOVEMBER 2020 - My exhibition in New Brighton finished at the end of October. The main exhibition recorded a total footfall of more than 2,500 people over the month. Visitors were fascinated by the old photos of the local area and I received many positive comments about my own work and that of Jenny Dunlop, another local artist. To mark the end of my exhibition I have now released my "Gerry's Ferry" print. The original painting from which the print is created was sold at the start of the exhibition.
OCTOBER 2020 - I was recently asked by local entrepreneur Daniel Davies if I would like to exhibit some of my work in New Brighton. The exhibition runs from 1st to the 31st of October in the Old Bank, 112, Victoria Road, New Brighton, Wirral. Doors are open from 12pm to 6pm every day. The exhibition premises allow for social distancing and hand sanitiser is provided.
The main exhibition showcases a large collection of photographs of the area, dating from 1880 to 1960. The exhibited photographs also appear in a series of fascinating books produced by Richard Jackson, David Hearn and other local authors.
You can see my artwork, together with work from another local artist - Jenny Dunlop, in a separate room at the back of the main gallery.
To showcase the exhibition I painted my own tribute to Merseyside's musical heritage and I called it "Gerry's Ferry". You can see the finished version on my Current Project page.
The main exhibition showcases a large collection of photographs of the area, dating from 1880 to 1960. The exhibited photographs also appear in a series of fascinating books produced by Richard Jackson, David Hearn and other local authors.
You can see my artwork, together with work from another local artist - Jenny Dunlop, in a separate room at the back of the main gallery.
To showcase the exhibition I painted my own tribute to Merseyside's musical heritage and I called it "Gerry's Ferry". You can see the finished version on my Current Project page.
SEPTEMBER 2020 - A permanent exhibition of some of my work has now been installed at Woodside Ferry Village. If you haven't already been there, check out this wonderful local venue. The vendors offer fantastic national and international foods with a wide menu selection to suit all tastes. Enjoy your meal and drinks from the bar with spectacular views across the Mersey to the world famous Liverpool waterfront. The management has made sure that this great venue is fully Covid 19 compliant, with a supervised one-way system, table service (or ordering via the Mimu app), single-use menus, track and trace monitoring and a thorough cleaning regime.
SEPTEMBER 2020 - I have just taken delivery of a series of ceramic mugs that are based on my original ferry paintings. These mugs are produced by the Prince William Pottery in Liverpool and they are now available to buy from my shop.
AUGUST 2020 - I am currently working with some local companies with a view to producing merchandise that is based on my work. I will add updates to my website as we progress.
JULY / AUGUST 2020 - Liverpool's Merseymade gallery and art cafe has reopened! The gallery is situated close to Liverpool One and is well worth a visit. They have also opened an online shop where you can purchase some of my prints.
JULY 2020 - Our lovely local galleries can open at last! I'm delighted to report that the Blue Moon gallery in Heswall recently featured my work in their main window display. Please contact the gallery on 0151 342 6657 for details.
JUNE 2020 - I finished my fundraising efforts for the NHS and also completed a fourth study in my Sisters of Mersey series. You can see the latest painting (entitled Holy Rollers) on my Gallery page. I have now started the first of a series of local Wirral landscapes. It is inspired by the view across to Wales from the Red Rocks at Hoylake.
APRIL 2020 - Life has changed dramatically for all of us. At this time of social distancing and lockdown, I consider myself very fortunate to be able to paint. I have always found the process to be calming and therapeutic, and now I need this more than ever.
During the lockdown, I started to post examples of my work on social media and a lot of people told me that my paintings cheered them up. I decided that I would see if my specialist printer could supply my prints while we both observed social distancing. When we had worked out the details, I started to take orders for prints. For each print sold I am donating £5.00 to the NHS.
I had no idea how many people would be interested and I was overwhelmed by the messages of support. If you want to purchase a print, please use the details on my Contact page. If you prefer to call me, I am happy to take any calls between 11:00 and 17:00 Monday to Friday. You can also contact me through Messenger.
During the lockdown, I started to post examples of my work on social media and a lot of people told me that my paintings cheered them up. I decided that I would see if my specialist printer could supply my prints while we both observed social distancing. When we had worked out the details, I started to take orders for prints. For each print sold I am donating £5.00 to the NHS.
I had no idea how many people would be interested and I was overwhelmed by the messages of support. If you want to purchase a print, please use the details on my Contact page. If you prefer to call me, I am happy to take any calls between 11:00 and 17:00 Monday to Friday. You can also contact me through Messenger.
MARCH 2020 - I took some examples of my work to the Merseymade gallery in Liverpool. I met with their Creative & Retail Manager Jenny Dunlop and we had a really positive discussion. Jenny has now agreed to stock my prints and the occasional original piece in Merseymade's lovely gallery. I am absolutely delighted to know that my work will be exhibited in such an exciting new venue.
Merseymade's premises include a lovely shop, gallery and cafe. I'm really looking forward to working with them in the years ahead.
Merseymade's premises include a lovely shop, gallery and cafe. I'm really looking forward to working with them in the years ahead.
FEBRUARY 2020 - I have been asked to provide some illustrations for a story book for children. The book will be sold to raise funds for the Children of Chernobyl. These funds are used to provide a respite holiday for the children. The trip is organised by Wirral Link, part of Chernobyl Children’s Life Line (CCLL). The children stay with Wirral people in a bid to boost their health. Many of these children have health problems and some are carers for their terminally ill parents, who survived the dreadful nuclear explosion in 1986.
FEBRUARY 2020 - Heswall Round Table asked if I would stage a pop-up exhibition for a black tie charity event. During the event I exhibited examples of my work, and one of my limited edition signed prints featured in a charity auction.
OCTOBER 2019 - Three of my limited edition Liverpool prints were signed by Gerry Marsden and were auctioned to raise funds for Claire House children's hospice. I would like to thank Gerry and the Once Upon a Tide Gallery in New Brighton (who framed the prints) for their collaboration. The amount raised in the auction was well beyond our expectations.
