"...the Norfolk and Suffolk landscape, both coastal and inland, holds an irresistible fascination for me and I am inspired to capture this inexhaustible source of inspiration in my paintings".

My work is inspired by the love of the Waveney Valley, bordering the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk, particularly the river valley at Earsham and Bungay, and the inexhaustible variety of coastal scenery at places like Dunwich and Covehithe - areas I have known all my life.

Working in oil on canvas, I have a grounding in traditional landscape painting while my current output sees me developing my personal style using paint manipulation techniques such as dripping, blotting and splattering. This spontaneous way of working embraces my love of the spirit of chance and randomness - seize the happy accident!

My 30 year history in graphic design, photography and illustration manifests itself in the way that I frame and develop each piece, with a tightly designed final image and details sometimes picked out in gold leaf giving a decorative twist.

Many of my working methods were developed while studying at Wimbledon School of Art and Kingston University, including a love of printmaking which I also incorporate in my work.

The final paintings are mounted in my own hand-made wooden frames and, as I feel it is important to offer a ‘complete Artbear experience’, all my promotional material and publicity is produced in house.

Currently (until 2022) I am working on developing my practice in different directions and exploring a range of ideas and concepts as part of my MA Fine Art course at Norwich University of the Arts. I am excited to discover how my work, and the attitude towrds experimenting with processes and materials, is developing along many avenues. Maybe it will move away from the current course and take on a whole new context - I don't know, but it will be exciting to find out!

The influence of synesthesia research which I did at the start of the MA, is a permanent feature of my work, becoming more prominent and influencing the way I see colour in my painting - especially when combined with my electronic music compositions.

I work on about ten to fifteen paintings at any one time - all in different stages of development and all beginning with a series of random and unplanned sessions of splashing, dripping and blotting. This continues until I am happy with the canvas and am ready to take it to the next stage - that of bringing in more traditional painting methods in areas like skylines, water and distant views between the trees, and generally introducing the context, refining colours and so on.

Final touches are the birds or animals - sometimes depicted in gold leaf as a decorative twist.

I also make my own wooden frames which are normally painted black.

In addition to working as an artist (as Artbear), I am also a photographer, illustrator and graphic designer as well as an electronic music composer and recording artist (working under the name of Sineflesh)

"I hope you get as much enjoyment from viewing my work as I did creating it!​"

exhibition photos

selected exhibitions