Member since Friday 28th Oct, 2011
Mythology, adventure, fantastic tales of horror and magic, sci fi and pulp fantasy are the subjects which most inspire me, I luckily came across a book called Beowulf by Rosemary Sutcliff when I was about 8yrs old, soon I was drawing viking warriors along with the dinosaurs, starships and superheroes all fans of the fantastic love to draw.
Coincidentally Marvel comics opened my eyes to the magical world of Sword and sorcery at about this time when they began publishing Conan the Barbarian. Drawn by my boyhood hero Barry Windsor Smith (an East London export to the wellspring of comic book creation, New York) and adapted by the under-appreciated Roy Thomas. Based on the heroic tales of R.E Howard. I was hooked, Apart from wanting to illustrate books on mythology I also wanted to paint book covers and draw comics as well.
I admire many art styles and artists, from the legendary Jack Kirby to 19thC illustrators like Edmund Dulac, N.C Wyeth, Howard Pyle, Arthur Rackham, William Russell Flint and Henry Justice Ford. I began reading British weekly humour comics like Knockout and Whizzer & Chips, plus science fiction (2000AD) and horror comics by DC Marvel and Charlton. Films were a massive source of inspiration, every type of genre. but those double bills of Sci Fi and Horror films mainly on the BBC were the greatest thrill, Imagine seeing 'Jason & the Argonauts' or 'Night of the Demon' at an impressionable age!.
Paperback cover Illustrators like Chris Foss, Manuel Sanjulian, Rodney Matthews, Chris Achilleos, Bruce Pennington, Peter Andrew Jones, Melvyn, Alan Lee, Jeffrey Jones & Frazetta are big influences. I like the work of Mucha, Corot, Sargent, Repin, Klimt and especially JMW Turner to name a few.
Thank you for taking time to look.and please feel free to Linkup or if you would like to discuss a commission please contact me, I juggle a day job but am always keen to expand on my list of art projects.
all the best
