Mickart

Hand Painted Art Canvases
Contemporary acrylic paintings to visually enhance the interior spaces in which people live, work or socialise.

Welcome to my gallery. I am a visual artist living in the North West of England. I work from my studio in Longridge which is situated in the beautiful Ribble Valley. I sell my paintings through various galleries and exhibitions as well as producing private commissions for individuals and business premises


I studied Art and Design at Derby Lonsdale College from 1976 to 1979 and was awarded a B. A. from the University of Nottingham. I specialised in painting and printmaking, but also studied twentieth century Art from a historical and socio- political perspective. After graduating I attended Matlock College of Education in the Peak District where I trained to be an Art teacher. I then went on to teach Art and Design in both secondary and further education. Since leaving the teaching profession to become a practising artist I have produced many commissioned pieces of art for satisfied customers. My work has been purchased by clients and gallery goers from both Britain and the U. S. A. I have created paintings for a number of business premises and leisure /recreational spaces which includes a restaurant /bar in Preston city centre. Quite recently I was commissioned to create a series of large canvases for the reception area, stairwell and conference suite of an Education and Training Centre run by Lancashire County Council. Apart from exhibiting my work in various galleries I have participated in a number of group exhibitions with other practising artists. My work has been exhibited at the prestigious Ribchester Music and Arts Festival. I have also exhibited my work on numerous occasions at Chipping Arts and Crafts Centre in the Forest of Bowland with the Northern Lights Art Group. I am always thinking about and working towards my next exhibition, so if you would like to be added to my mailing list for information on future events, please email me.

In today’s art market my work would be classified as “Contemporary”. It is specifically aimed at visually enhancing the interior spaces in which people live, work or socialise. I use many different media in my painting but my favoured method of working is acrylic on canvas. Living in such a beautiful part of the world, I am heavily influenced by my surroundings. I thrive on the repetition of shape and pattern in nature set against the element of surprise which the natural world creates and constructs in the most unexpected way. I love analysing natural objects and surfaces, then simplifying and juxtaposing them to create dramatic contrasts. I often minimalise these images into monochromatic paintings in order to simplify even further the complexities of nature. I prefer to describe this aspect of my work as “Naturalism and the Imaginary”. I am also inspired by the simple principle of “taking a line for a walk” and also love playing with ideas associated with the complementary “action” of colour. This particular work is very “Retro” and is influenced by 1960’s and 1970’s design. Many of the paintings seen here in my virtual gallery have already been sold. However if you see a painting that you like, I can recreate it in any size or colour.

I continue to take commissions from clients wanting unique, unusual and often personal paintings for the home or office. Having met the client in person to discuss their tastes and requirements I produce a series of preliminary ideas which I show to them before embarking on the final piece. Throughout the whole process I take into account how the painting will relate to and enhance the environment in which it is placed.