Ten Years 1/8
Ten years ago, almost to the day I decided leave my full time employment at LK Associates and sell my artwork for a living. It’s not been easy but it has enabled me to do the thing that I love as a full time job and for that I feel very fortunate. I wanted to write a piece which went some way to describing the story so far.
Last summer, at the Piece Hall in Halifax there was a closing summer spectacle The Blondin Gala which was a celebration of the historic event when in 1861 international sensation Blondin completed a tightrope walk across The Piece Hall. My career as an artist so far has felt a bit like a tightrope walk (not that I have ever attempted one). It has often felt like a fine balancing act where I’ve had to juggle all the different aspect of the business by myself. It’s been a steep learning curve and I still feel like a beginner with so much more to learn and accomplish.
Beginnings
I had the idea to offer house and garden portraits door to door. It was a bright day and I set off, portfolio in hand, to a part of Allerton in Liverpool where I knew of some larger properties. I wasn’t disappointed as within an hour I had picked up two commissions. This was the very first commission for a house portrait...
My first house portrait commission!
I have always aimed for a realistic finish to my house portraits, keeping true to the colours and shapes that I observe through the lens of my camera. Sometimes people will ask for a ‘looser’ style which perhaps better suits the medium of watercolours being able to have more freedom to allow the colours to merge for a more abstract finish.