Products
BALBOA (Rocky) - Large Limited Edition
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‘BALBOA’ was my first piece where I work with smoke detail to create a silhouetted character and I am so pleased by the results. Rather than the static and stark silhouettes that are typical I have strived to inject movement and depth into mine through using the smoke textures. I love how it flows, expanding and contracting to take the shape of the body.
The image of Rocky is so incredibly iconic and exists in so many variants so I was keen on going at this in a different way. Through using the smoke-like textures to create the body it gives off this wonderful ghost-like quality that is perfect for my ‘Lost In Hollywood’ series where we consider the characters from the film that are left behind once the filming stops and the lights go out.
The USA flag has been depicted within the body through the red white and blue and the stars whilst hints of the cityscape form the background. I wanted to do something that was really gritty where the smoke represents the downtown Philadelphia element whilst in contrast the stars and lighting signify the bright lights of the arena and the fame that Rocky found.
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- Released: 2016
- Collection: Lost In Hollywood
- Edition Size: 10 + 1AP
- Specification: Deluxe limited edition fine art print, hand signed by artist.
- Image Size: 37” x 24"
- Mounted Size: 44” x 32"
- Framed Size (Approx): 47” x 35"
BALBOA (Rocky) - Original
- ‘BALBOA’ was my first piece where I work with smoke detail to create a silhouetted character and I am so pleased by the results. Rather than the static and stark silhouettes that are typical I have strived to inject movement and depth into mine through using the smoke textures. I love how it flows, expanding and contracting to take the shape of the body.
The image of Rocky is so incredibly iconic and exists in so many variants so I was keen on going at this in a different way. Through using the smoke-like textures to create the body it gives off this wonderful ghost-like quality that is perfect for my ‘Lost In Hollywood’ series where we consider the characters from the film that are left behind once the filming stops and the lights go out.
The USA flag has been depicted within the body through the red white and blue and the stars whilst hints of the cityscape form the background. I wanted to do something that was really gritty where the smoke represents the downtown Philadelphia element whilst in contrast the stars and lighting signify the bright lights of the arena and the fame that Rocky found. -
- Released: 2016
- Collection: Lost In Hollywood
- Specification: 1 of 1 original framed embellished canvas, hand signed by artist.
- Image Size: 48” x 36"
- Framed Size: 54” x 41"
BALBOA (Rocky) - Standard Limited Edition
£315.00
- ‘BALBOA’ was my first piece where I work with smoke detail to create a silhouetted character and I am so pleased by the results. Rather than the static and stark silhouettes that are typical I have strived to inject movement and depth into mine through using the smoke textures. I love how it flows, expanding and contracting to take the shape of the body.
The image of Rocky is so incredibly iconic and exists in so many variants so I was keen on going at this in a different way. Through using the smoke-like textures to create the body it gives off this wonderful ghost-like quality that is perfect for my ‘Lost In Hollywood’ series where we consider the characters from the film that are left behind once the filming stops and the lights go out.
The USA flag has been depicted within the body through the red white and blue and the stars whilst hints of the cityscape form the background. I wanted to do something that was really gritty where the smoke represents the downtown Philadelphia element whilst in contrast the stars and lighting signify the bright lights of the arena and the fame that Rocky found.
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- Released: 2016
- Collection: Lost In Hollywood
- Edition Size: 45 +5AP
- Specification: Limited edition fine art print, hand signed by artist.
- Image Size: 26" x 18.5"
- Framed Size (Approx): 33.5” x 25.5"
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- Free delivery to UK Mainland
- Get in touch for overseas delivery
- Please allow approximately 14 days for delivery, should you need delivery sooner please let us know.
BALBOA (Rocky) - VHS Limited Edition
£595.00
- ‘BALBOA’ was my first piece where I work with smoke detail to create a silhouetted character and I am so pleased by the results. Rather than the static and stark silhouettes that are typical I have strived to inject movement and depth into mine through using the smoke textures. I love how it flows, expanding and contracting to take the shape of the body.
The image of Rocky is so incredibly iconic and exists in so many variants, so I was keen on going at this in a different way. Through using the smoke-like textures to create the body it gives off this wonderful ghost-like quality that is perfect for my ‘Lost In Hollywood’ series where we consider the characters from the film that are left behind once the filming stops and the lights go out.
The USA flag has been depicted within the body through the red, white, and blue and the stars whilst hints of the cityscape form the background. I wanted to do something that was gritty where the smoke represents the downtown Philadelphia element whilst in contrast the stars and lighting signify the bright lights of the arena and the fame that Rocky found.
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- Released: 2021
- Collection: Lost In Hollywood VHS
- Edition Size: 20 + 5AP
- Specification:
- Hand embellished
- Floated poster and double mount
- Custom spray-painted frame
- Sticker decals
- Hand signed by artist
- Image Size: 8.3” x 11.7"
- Framed Size (Approx): 13.5” x 16.75”
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- Get in touch for overseas delivery
- Please allow approximately 21 days for delivery, should you need delivery sooner please let us know.
Battles Passed - Large Limited Edition
£445.00
- This is my era, my memories and my interpretation of a series of incredible films that were the catalyst for so much happiness growing up in such a cracking decade and this has been a long time in the making!
From watching the earlier films as a family to making my Christmas list, writing down Argos catalogue codes whilst listening to Dire Straits and Eddie Grant - Star Wars evokes so many wonderful and vivid images of a brilliant childhood.
Taking on such a beast as this shouldn’t be under-estimated, anything must be done with authenticity, doing justice to an incredible narrative and to inspire a fan base like no other.I would never confess to being an out-and-out die-hard Star Wars nerd, fair play to those who are but it is the earlier films that really appeal to me for the reasons above. This is why I feel comfortable and excited taking them on, and ultimately happier when doing so as I cherish my childhood and family more than ever now.
‘Battles Passed’ is my first landscape scene inspired by Star Wars and I am so proud of the end result. This is such an ultra-commercial and over saturated subject so anything I did would only ever run in line with what my work represents and offer something different, anything else doesn’t interest me and wouldn’t be authentic to my art.
The aim with this piece was to create something subtle, something with genuine class, where the real detail could actually be missed at first, instead taking it for simply a beautiful landscape scene. I didn’t intend to shout with this one, just to do it justice and I am so proud of the end result.
I loved the battles of Endor, it was the intensity of the fight set amongst such a rich forest setting that was such a contrast to those set within a ship for example. I wanted to suggest remnants of battles passed, to show how nature lives on, slowly taking back control against the harshness of the man-made objects. Continuing this concept of battles passed I felt it apt to include a subtle reference to those faced by the late Carrie Fisher. Less is more...
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- Released: 2018
- Collection: A New Chapter
- Edition Size: 10
- Specification: Limited edition fine art print, hand signed by artist.
- Image Size: 32” x 24"
- Framed Size (Approx): 42” x 34"
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- Get in touch for overseas delivery
- Please allow approximately 14 days for delivery, should you need delivery sooner please let us know.
Battles Passed - Standard Limited Edition
£395.00
- This is my era, my memories and my interpretation of a series of incredible films that were the catalyst for so much happiness growing up in such a cracking decade and this has been a long time in the making!
From watching the earlier films as a family to making my Christmas list, writing down Argos catalogue codes whilst listening to Dire Straits and Eddie Grant - Star Wars evokes so many wonderful and vivid images of a brilliant childhood.
Taking on such a beast as this shouldn’t be under-estimated, anything must be done with authenticity, doing justice to an incredible narrative and to inspire a fan base like no other.I would never confess to being an out-and-out die-hard Star Wars nerd, fair play to those who are but it is the earlier films that really appeal to me for the reasons above. This is why I feel comfortable and excited taking them on, and ultimately happier when doing so as I cherish my childhood and family more than ever now.
‘Battles Passed’ is my first landscape scene inspired by Star Wars and I am so proud of the end result. This is such an ultra-commercial and over saturated subject so anything I did would only ever run in line with what my work represents and offer something different, anything else doesn’t interest me and wouldn’t be authentic to my art.
The aim with this piece was to create something subtle, something with genuine class, where the real detail could actually be missed at first, instead taking it for simply a beautiful landscape scene. I didn’t intend to shout with this one, just to do it justice and I am so proud of the end result.
I loved the battles of Endor, it was the intensity of the fight set amongst such a rich forest setting that was such a contrast to those set within a ship for example. I wanted to suggest remnants of battles passed, to show how nature lives on, slowly taking back control against the harshness of the man-made objects. Continuing this concept of battles passed I felt it apt to include a subtle reference to those faced by the late Carrie Fisher. Less is more...
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- Released: 2018
- Collection: A New Chapter
- Edition Size: 45
- Specification: Limited edition fine art print, hand signed by artist.
- Image Size: 25” x 18.5"
- Framed Size (Approx): 32” x 26"
-
- Get in touch for overseas delivery
- Please allow approximately 14 days for delivery, should you need delivery sooner please let us know.
Battles Passed - The Original
- This is my era, my memories and my interpretation of a series of incredible films that were the catalyst for so much happiness growing up in such a cracking decade and this has been a long time in the making!
From watching the earlier films as a family to making my Christmas list, writing down Argos catalogue codes whilst listening to Dire Straits and Eddie Grant - Star Wars evokes so many wonderful and vivid images of a brilliant childhood.
Taking on such a beast as this shouldn’t be under-estimated, anything must be done with authenticity, doing justice to an incredible narrative and to inspire a fan base like no other.I would never confess to being an out-and-out die-hard Star Wars nerd, fair play to those who are but it is the earlier films that really appeal to me for the reasons above. This is why I feel comfortable and excited taking them on, and ultimately happier when doing so as I cherish my childhood and family more than ever now.
‘Battles Passed’ is my first landscape scene inspired by Star Wars and I am so proud of the end result. This is such an ultra-commercial and over saturated subject so anything I did would only ever run in line with what my work represents and offer something different, anything else doesn’t interest me and wouldn’t be authentic to my art.
The aim with this piece was to create something subtle, something with genuine class, where the real detail could actually be missed at first, instead taking it for simply a beautiful landscape scene. I didn’t intend to shout with this one, just to do it justice and I am so proud of the end result.
I loved the battles of Endor, it was the intensity of the fight set amongst such a rich forest setting that was such a contrast to those set within a ship for example. I wanted to suggest remnants of battles passed, to show how nature lives on, slowly taking back control against the harshness of the man-made objects. Continuing this concept of battles passed I felt it apt to include a subtle reference to those faced by the late Carrie Fisher. Less is more...
-
- Released: 2018
- Collection: A New Chapter
- Specification: 1 of 1 original framed embellished canvas, hand signed by artist.
- Image Size: 48” x 36"
- Framed Size (Approx): 54” x 41"
Born To Lie (Pinocchio) - Large Limited Edition
- No one likes a liar, no one.
This is a boy who hasn’t been scarred by lifes’ experiences too young, his first reaction to his creator was to laugh wildly in his face, what kind of freak does that? Geppetto was a true craftsman, a master of his trade who poured everything into creating Pinocchio only for things to turn very, very bad. Described by his father as wretched boy, this little blaggard caused havoc and turmoil and was cast out, ring-fenced and and abandoned. Can a child really be born ‘bad’? Surely not, it must be through inherited traits that clash and conflict with bad experiences and influences that they are exposed to? But how does that explain the above?
It is written that this rascal of a boy causes grief and frustration to his father and others but the fact that his first breath was a negative one means that maybe whilst creating his son, Geppetto unwittingly transferred some of his negative characteristics that had been dormant within, those that were a consequence of the pressures that he had been placed under through lifes’ struggles. The craftsman is undeniably good but no one is ‘perfect’ and stress mutates and breaks out in different ways. So who is actually the victim here?
This piece focuses on a frustrated and silently seething Pinocchio, sat slumped isolated and abandoned. His nose elongated and showing signs that he is still lying, the wooden limbs burn with the anger that is building within his body and mind. He knows what he is is doing is wrong, he can see the destruction and the hurt that radiates outwards but he can’t seem to stop it, is it his fault? Does he choose to lie, no, not in this case, he was simply made this way. On first look you see a crisp, beautiful scene before seeing the boys’ anger and frustration but as with so many of my pieces there are signs of hope.
Once a liar always a liar right? No.
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- Released: 2017
- Collection: Through Darkness & Light
- Edition Size: 10 + 1AP
- Specification: Deluxe limited edition fine art print, hand signed by artist.
- Image Size: 37” x 24"
- Framed Size (Approx): 47” x 35"
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- Free delivery to UK Mainland
- Get in touch for overseas delivery
- Please allow approximately 14 days for delivery, should you need delivery sooner please let us know.
Born To Lie (Pinocchio) - Original
- No one likes a liar, no one.
This is a boy who hasn’t been scarred by lifes’ experiences too young, his first reaction to his creator was to laugh wildly in his face, what kind of freak does that? Geppetto was a true craftsman, a master of his trade who poured everything into creating Pinocchio only for things to turn very, very bad. Described by his father as wretched boy, this little blaggard caused havoc and turmoil and was cast out, ring-fenced and and abandoned. Can a child really be born ‘bad’? Surely not, it must be through inherited traits that clash and conflict with bad experiences and influences that they are exposed to? But how does that explain the above?
It is written that this rascal of a boy causes grief and frustration to his father and others but the fact that his first breath was a negative one means that maybe whilst creating his son, Geppetto unwittingly transferred some of his negative characteristics that had been dormant within, those that were a consequence of the pressures that he had been placed under through lifes’ struggles. The craftsman is undeniably good but no one is ‘perfect’ and stress mutates and breaks out in different ways. So who is actually the victim here?
This piece focuses on a frustrated and silently seething Pinocchio, sat slumped isolated and abandoned. His nose elongated and showing signs that he is still lying, the wooden limbs burn with the anger that is building within his body and mind. He knows what he is is doing is wrong, he can see the destruction and the hurt that radiates outwards but he can’t seem to stop it, is it his fault? Does he choose to lie, no, not in this case, he was simply made this way. On first look you see a crisp, beautiful scene before seeing the boys’ anger and frustration but as with so many of my pieces there are signs of hope.
Once a liar always a liar right? No. -
- Released: 2017
- Collection: Through Darkness & Light
- Specification: 1 of 1 original framed embellished canvas, hand signed by artist.
- Image Size: 48” x 36"
- Framed Size: 54” x 41"
Born To Lie (Pinocchio) - Standard Limited Edition
£395.00
- No one likes a liar, no one.
This is a boy who hasn’t been scarred by lifes’ experiences too young, his first reaction to his creator was to laugh wildly in his face, what kind of freak does that? Geppetto was a true craftsman, a master of his trade who poured everything into creating Pinocchio only for things to turn very, very bad. Described by his father as wretched boy, this little blaggard caused havoc and turmoil and was cast out, ring-fenced and and abandoned. Can a child really be born ‘bad’? Surely not, it must be through inherited traits that clash and conflict with bad experiences and influences that they are exposed to? But how does that explain the above?
It is written that this rascal of a boy causes grief and frustration to his father and others but the fact that his first breath was a negative one means that maybe whilst creating his son, Geppetto unwittingly transferred some of his negative characteristics that had been dormant within, those that were a consequence of the pressures that he had been placed under through lifes’ struggles. The craftsman is undeniably good but no one is ‘perfect’ and stress mutates and breaks out in different ways. So who is actually the victim here?
This piece focuses on a frustrated and silently seething Pinocchio, sat slumped isolated and abandoned. His nose elongated and showing signs that he is still lying, the wooden limbs burn with the anger that is building within his body and mind. He knows what he is is doing is wrong, he can see the destruction and the hurt that radiates outwards but he can’t seem to stop it, is it his fault? Does he choose to lie, no, not in this case, he was simply made this way. On first look you see a crisp, beautiful scene before seeing the boys’ anger and frustration but as with so many of my pieces there are signs of hope.
Once a liar always a liar right? No. -
- Released: 2017
- Collection: Through Darkness & Light
- Edition Size: 45 +5AP
- Specification: Limited edition fine art print, hand signed by artist.
- Image Size: 31” x 23"
- Framed Size (Approx): 34” x 27"
-
- Free delivery to UK Mainland
- Get in touch for overseas delivery
- Please allow approximately 14 days for delivery, should you need delivery sooner please let us know.
Carry Me Anew (Ophelia) - Limited Edition
- Ok, I’m not going to pretend to be a devoted fan of William Shakespeare and his works. However, what I do find is that there is always such a strong pull towards taking on a subject due to his ability to create such intense characters that seem to resonate. ‘Carry Me Anew’ is my latest piece that falls within an often overlooked body of work entitled ‘Stagecraft’ that houses other pieces that include the likes of ‘Romeo & Juliet’, ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, ‘Oliver Twist’ and ‘The Woman In Black’.
I have always been aware of other artist’s interpretations of Ophelia and when the brief came in to portray her in my own way I jumped at the chance. Being the follow up commission by Eaton Fine Art, this gave me the opportunity and freedom to further build on the previous piece (and style) ‘I’ll Take My Leave Of You’ that again focused on a female character, Mina from Dracula!
So many of my deeper, and often darker pieces are inspired and driven by incredibly personal and genuine emotions that transform the image, opening it up to a wider audience who are drawn to the character that they see for equally personal and often very different reasons. I genuinely love this and makes me so incredibly proud to be able to create art with such powerful meaning that pulls on people’s heart strings.
Research is always key, what became clear very quickly was the mental health aspect to Ophelia’s character and the ensuing tragedy that followed. Something resonated with me very quickly and powerfully and the more I continued reading, the more things built in my mind and there was only ever one way of portraying her then. What you see in my work is an outpouring of my emotions and thoughts, how I interpret a subject ensures that it will always only ever be unique, genuine and honest. It is how I talk, how I scream and how I heal.
Luckily, the impact of one’s mental health is recognised so much more than before, reasons become clearer and risks become more apparent and therefore offering more chances to save that person. What a truly tragic tale, there was no way could I simply portray her at a final point, others have, but with my narrative that drives my work and the hope that fuels the fire while fanning the flames, there had to be an alternative way of depicting Ophelia.
I wanted to ensure that my emotions didn’t distort things too much, which can mean that you go racing off in a different direction that results in a piece that, whilst still being linked, bears minimal resemblance to the aspirations of the client! So, what we see is Ophelia as a beautiful woman within the water, surrounded by the synonymous weeping willow tree and waterlilies but with those objects given another reason for being there.
The fact that Ophelia drowned fuelled my narrative, a culmination of drowning in so many ways, mentally, emotionally and ultimately, physically. This is a tale of a beautiful woman continually let down and passed off, tricked and blamed, a woman who’s heart was full to bursting yet who’s demons had grown so tall behind her that she struggled to see the white of her walls. A woman that sought beauty but found beast, a woman that desperately needed strength but fell under due to her branch breaking under the ‘weight’ of her. Yet, here exists a woman who continues to breath under water and will break the surface and be carried anew.
So what are we looking at? A drowned woman? Do you see it as Ophelia rising up to heaven and that the title therefore relates to her finding a happier place? From my point of view, absolutely not! What we see is a person who has effectively died through drowning but who’s lungs are now full of hope and is starting to rise upwards towards a more positive state of mind. Look closely and you’ll see the beauty of the lotus flowers but who’s roots swirl around Ophelia’s feet in an attempt to drag her further down and hold her there. Still waters run deep.
Subtle feathers, both white and black fall downwards, signifying the impact of both good and evil. Butterflies flutter around her, further depicting the sense of being transformed and freed, a concept that runs through so much of my works. ‘Carry Me Anew’ can scream or it can whisper, it can grab and shake or gently hug you. However, what it does do is convey that there is life after ‘death’ and to never under-estimate one’s fragility and one’s strength. Write another chapter or simply just help to hold the pen to allow another to write theirs. -
- Released: 2021
- Collection: Stagecraft
- Edition Size: 5 + 1AP in standard, large and canvas editions
- Specification: Limited edition fine art print, hand signed by artist.
- Available exclusively with Eaton Fine Art
Carry Me Anew (Ophelia) - Original
- Ok, I’m not going to pretend to be a devoted fan of William Shakespeare and his works. However, what I do find is that there is always such a strong pull towards taking on a subject due to his ability to create such intense characters that seem to resonate. ‘Carry Me Anew’ is my latest piece that falls within an often overlooked body of work entitled ‘Stagecraft’ that houses other pieces that include the likes of ‘Romeo & Juliet’, ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, ‘Oliver Twist’ and ‘The Woman In Black’.
I have always been aware of other artist’s interpretations of Ophelia and when the brief came in to portray her in my own way I jumped at the chance. Being the follow up commission by Eaton Fine Art, this gave me the opportunity and freedom to further build on the previous piece (and style) ‘I’ll Take My Leave Of You’ that again focused on a female character, Mina from Dracula!
So many of my deeper, and often darker pieces are inspired and driven by incredibly personal and genuine emotions that transform the image, opening it up to a wider audience who are drawn to the character that they see for equally personal and often very different reasons. I genuinely love this and makes me so incredibly proud to be able to create art with such powerful meaning that pulls on people’s heart strings.
Research is always key, what became clear very quickly was the mental health aspect to Ophelia’s character and the ensuing tragedy that followed. Something resonated with me very quickly and powerfully and the more I continued reading, the more things built in my mind and there was only ever one way of portraying her then. What you see in my work is an outpouring of my emotions and thoughts, how I interpret a subject ensures that it will always only ever be unique, genuine and honest. It is how I talk, how I scream and how I heal.
Luckily, the impact of one’s mental health is recognised so much more than before, reasons become clearer and risks become more apparent and therefore offering more chances to save that person. What a truly tragic tale, there was no way could I simply portray her at a final point, others have, but with my narrative that drives my work and the hope that fuels the fire while fanning the flames, there had to be an alternative way of depicting Ophelia.
I wanted to ensure that my emotions didn’t distort things too much, which can mean that you go racing off in a different direction that results in a piece that, whilst still being linked, bears minimal resemblance to the aspirations of the client! So, what we see is Ophelia as a beautiful woman within the water, surrounded by the synonymous weeping willow tree and waterlilies but with those objects given another reason for being there.
The fact that Ophelia drowned fuelled my narrative, a culmination of drowning in so many ways, mentally, emotionally and ultimately, physically. This is a tale of a beautiful woman continually let down and passed off, tricked and blamed, a woman who’s heart was full to bursting yet who’s demons had grown so tall behind her that she struggled to see the white of her walls. A woman that sought beauty but found beast, a woman that desperately needed strength but fell under due to her branch breaking under the ‘weight’ of her. Yet, here exists a woman who continues to breath under water and will break the surface and be carried anew.
So what are we looking at? A drowned woman? Do you see it as Ophelia rising up to heaven and that the title therefore relates to her finding a happier place? From my point of view, absolutely not! What we see is a person who has effectively died through drowning but who’s lungs are now full of hope and is starting to rise upwards towards a more positive state of mind. Look closely and you’ll see the beauty of the lotus flowers but who’s roots swirl around Ophelia’s feet in an attempt to drag her further down and hold her there. Still waters run deep.
Subtle feathers, both white and black fall downwards, signifying the impact of both good and evil. Butterflies flutter around her, further depicting the sense of being transformed and freed, a concept that runs through so much of my works. ‘Carry Me Anew’ can scream or it can whisper, it can grab and shake or gently hug you. However, what it does do is convey that there is life after ‘death’ and to never under-estimate one’s fragility and one’s strength. Write another chapter or simply just help to hold the pen to allow another to write theirs. -
- Released: 2021
- Collection: Stagecraft
- Edition Size: Original
- Specification: Mixed media original piece, hand signed by artist.
- Available exclusively with Eaton Fine Art
Cast Off Your Shackles (Mary Poppins) - Original
- With this piece I wanted to focus on creating emotion and feeling within the scene rather than a deep concept. The horse that takes centre stage shows so much emotion and is deep in thought, majestic almost. My aim is to first see the beautiful horse in its’ surroundings and then notice the pole, painted saddle and the cracked skin to reveal signs of a darker past. Now that the horse has broken free it has cast off the shackles of yesterday and embracing the freedom that comes from that.
This is mirrored by the suggested relationship between Mary and Bert which shows a number of references to this and how they have brought what was once hidden into the open for all to see! Objects within the grass that typically shock are made to look beautiful as this is how the two love birds see what they have between each other.
What I have created is a scene based on the original narrative that is set in parkland on a beautiful English Summers’ day with the dome of St Pauls showing over the treetops. A racecourse extends across the composition with riders and horses thundering by. Light as always plays a key role here creating warmth and calm whilst the brighter areas are there to represent hope.
Butterflies flutter around the pole moving upwards, the style of these has been done in a way that relates to the flat colours of those used in the film as contrast to the background. Dandelions fill the grass to enhance the lightness and delicateness of the piece, there are tiny seed details where they are floating upwards. In the background there is Mary Poppins’ carpet bag and the white umbrella that she held within the park / fair scene with subtle hints of magical detail surrounding it. Birds are a key part of the film and I have includes two within the softened background, as well as Berts’ blue bow-tie that rests against Mary’s bag. Nestled within the grass is the signature Matryoshka doll that references my first published collection.
Key characters from the story stand within the long grass, a disgruntled turtle and some penguins, of course! I deliberately left until last as it was a case of how on earth do you introduce such characters into such a beautiful scene without it looking random and stark. So what I have done is create a connection between one of the penguins and the horse where they are fixed on each other. There is subtle dream-like lighting detail and icons that are radiating off the penguin leading upwards to the horse, it creates something really wonderful and more importantly a talking point as to what is going on and why there is such a lovely affiliation.
For me it epitomises what I am conveying through this image, beauty, intrigue, freedom, hope and subtle randomness. The two central penguins are deep in conversation, possibly gossiping about their love-struck friend! -
- Released: 2016
- Collection: Storyteller
- Specification: 1 of 1 original framed embellished canvas, hand signed by artist.
- Image Size: 48” x 36"
- Framed Size: 54” x 41"
Charlie (Charlie & The Chocolate Factory) - Original
Released: 2016 Collection: Storyteller Specification: 1 of 1 original framed embellished canvas, hand signed by artist. Image Size: 48” x 36" Framed Size: 54” x...
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Choose Life (Trainspotting) - Limited Edition
- This was an opportunity to create something dark, dirty, random and harsh but cool with iconic references that bring a wonderful sense of nostalgia into the piece. However in-line with my style of work I set about conceiving a concept where the darkest of darks can play out their power struggle with hope and light. There is such a rich diversity in the main characters and this allowed me to reinforce the dark and the light by introducing brutal elements that sit alongside innocent home comforts, showing that despite the harshness of their addictions and subsequent traits there is still good, a light still remains and the smallest flicker of flame to guide them to the light, to choose life still burns in a dark corner.
The piece opens a window into a pretty grim looking Edinburgh flat that on first glance you would identify as being in the 1990s at the time of the first film, the room is literally littered with objects from the films narrative and also other detail to reinforce the era. Peeling and rotten walls give up music references from the original soundtrack and show scrawled messages that hint at paranoia and utter randomness as a result of being high, or low but are actually selected lines from the cult song that is synonymous to the film - Underworld’s ‘Born Slippy’. A dirtied window casts light into the room whilst offering a grey view out to the Edinburgh Castle, the window also symbolises the good and the bad that exists through the dark forces that are let into the room from outside (drugs bought from street dealers, stolen goods to feed their habit) and also representing light through the darkness, a different life exists beyond their four walls.
Danny Boyles’ film was eye-openingly brutal and real, it was incredibly cool and tinged with surreal sinister moments such as the scene where the dead baby crawls the ceiling in Rentons’ nightmare. I wanted to acknowledge this and the randomness of parts of the film, to create a kind of ‘WTF’ detail so the baby is within the scene but a plastic doll, taped to the ceiling by his mates. Just a bizarre prank by those who are so high and entrapped that they could climb the walls themselves or is it done in a much more sinister way? An ageing TV plays the classic goal scored by Scotlands’ Archie Gemmill against Holland in the 1978 World Cup, the commentary from the goal spoken by Barry Coleman has also been immortalised within the scene, further reinforcing the characters obsession for ‘that goal’.
However when you look through into the next room (immersed in an orange glow to play on the colour ways and graphical execution of the films’ marketing) you will see certain objects that are placed to confuse. iPads weren’t invented in 1996?! The country didn’t vote for independence either? That is because it isn’t 1996, it is 2017 - the time of T2 Trainspotting - the sequel. Through the characters addictions and their demons growing ever taller behind them time and ultimately life has stood still for the past 2 decades. No money, no hope, just a biting reality that the bell of age has rang loudly in their heads for way too long. How can you see clearly if the sunlight is behind you? You can’t see your path if you are always looking backwards, roll Archie Gemmill. I set out to create a scene that shows a walk through from room to room that represents the journey in life, not the entire lifecycle but from that point of seemingly no return to embracing the power of ones’ choice, choose life. The brightest window in the room signifies that point of hopefully no return.
My aim was truly do justice to this epic piece of British film making and to embrace being lucky enough to be part of such a great era. I wanted to show the harshness of their life dominated by drugs, to cast light into the darkest corners and to create a intense piece of art that fans of the film would love spotting all of the references but I also wanted to add tiny details that look a little deeper at the impact of the abuse, how it can release a positive change in a suppressed soul, representing an evolution, a transition albeit a temporary one. On the flip side how it can completely and utterly crush goodness and regress the most positive person - this is subtle within the piece as I didn’t want it to detract or confuse but look through the smoke to find the chrysalis, caterpillar and butterfly, or is it the other away around.
Choose Life. -
- Released: 2017
- Collection: Standalone
- Edition Size: 10 + 1AP
- Specification: Limited edition fine art print, hand signed by artist.
- Image Size: 29” x 22"
- Framed Size: 42” x 34"
- Available exclusively with Robertson Fine Art - Edinburgh