Member since Tuesday 30th Oct, 2012
My family has a history of creativeness. My great grandfather was a decorative mosaic tiler around Islington, my father a self taught draughtsman and commercial artist working in the City and living in Essex. My sister is a fantastic illustrator and lives in Norfolk and both my children have an rich artistic and creative streak.
I grew up in England surrounded with my fathers magic markers and indian ink bottles and used to sit on our staircase on rainy days drawing and colouring. All through school my art was everywhere - exercise book covers were studded with random doodles and caricatures of teachers and I designed the school newsletters. I left secondary school with an O'Level Grade A in Art, and the same grade for Ceramics (Pottery).
I studied at Southend Art College from 1981 for four years and attained A level Grade A for Art & Design and a BTEC in Graphic Design as well as developing a keen interest in photography.
Inspirations include Mrs King my art teacher at The Billericay School, Reg Gray - a published illustrator and my drawing teacher at Southend College, and Kent's treasure - Roland Hilder, whose ability to quickly capture form, mood and above all light and tone constantly amazes me. I share his love of England.
My father and I have illustrated hundreds of classic cars on collectors cards by Golden Era. Perhaps you have seen a set hanging on the wall or at a classic car meet? I have also illustrated stamps for Guernsey Post Office. I currently live in Tiptree and have a design company in Feering, Essex.
This love and my creativeness leads me to visit and chronicle those English views and settings that make us all proud to be part of such a great country in my spare time. Around every hedgerow there is natural history. In every town there is unique history, and the coast that frames our land is ever changing but always beautiful.
England's natural assets jewelled with great cities, towns, villages and hamlets all fuse together to make Great Britain the place the world wants to come see.
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© Robert R Wisdom www.theartofengland.co.uk 2013
