Here is an outline of my story, reading up from Edinburgh College of Art to Penn Gallery.

2026    Penn Gallery Online Store.

Penn Gallery has had a website from the start. When more and more people started asking me for prints after seeing the website, I knew it was time to open an online store. This complements my high street shop. It is still early days, and I would never want online to take over from my Alnwick gallery.

2024 Digital Art

My experience with the record cover reignited my interest in digital techniques. I was invited to give a talk and exhibition in Alnwick Playhouse, which I called Art and Imagination. This made me reflect on my career. Initially I treated the opportunities presented by AI, with caution and some negativity. However, I have learnt to enjoy exploring how art and technology work together and to embrace AI tools combined with, editing, and digital painting—to create new work.

2019 Record Cover Art

Out of the blue, Gaz Cobain (Future Sound of London/The Amorphous Androgynous), asked me to create an album cover for their upcoming work, 'We Persuade Ourselves We Are immortal'. For me, this was a dream come true.  Gaz was in France, so to communicate art concepts, we needed digital. I went back to Photoshop and Wacom digital drawing, and researched classic and prog-rock album covers. Seeing the final record in shops was amazing

2016 Penn Gallery Planning

By chance I spotted a shop in Alnwick, which I decided would be just right for Penn Gallery. I had hardly any paintings left to sell, so I spent a year painting frantically to fill the gallery walls. I chose various subjects - dancers, musicians, portraits -but nearly all featuring people. By the time the gallery was vacant I had enough paintings. Then I just had to paint the gallery walls, install the lights and picture hanging system, and we were good to go. In the first year, sales were steady, which was encouraging.

2012 Travel Paintings

I took some time out to renovate a house, with friends and to travel. A trip to India inspired my next series of paintings. I then got a job at Balman Gallery in Corbridge. I liked I reconnecting with customers, and curating exhibitions. Balman Gallery exhibited at the Affordable Art Fair, in London, which was an interesting experience for me. However, the Fair didn't accept my work. I was disappointed and I knew I really needed to open my own space.

2009 Graphics

A lifelong interest—sparked by early gaming and drawing with a light pen on the Amstrad screen—led me back to digital art after The Art Café closed. I first taught myself Photoshop, then studied at Sunderland University, and learned to paint on a Wacom tablet. After graduating, I went on to work at the Newcastle games studio Mere Mortals. Here I created concept art for projects involving Sony and Microsoft. One title, based on a murder mystery theme, reached a San Francisco games convention. However, the games industry is tough, and when the studio folded, I moved on

Next, I worked at The Art Café in Corbridge. I learned about what sells and how to price work. A ballet at the Queen’s Hall in Hexham sparked a series of dancer paintings, which gained national gallery interest and strong sales. One was shortlisted for the “Not the Turner Prize” in the Mall Galleries. Six images became high-street prints, but I was naive and didn’t properly appreciate publishing rights at the time.

2000 Mural Art

After graduating, I worked as a mural artist for In House Designs, painting murals in homes across the North East and Yorkshire—including for Gareth Southgate. I particularly remember the pleasure that a whole room, painted like a jungle gave the client. When decorative paint techniques, which was the core business of In House Designs, went out of fashion, the company closed and I moved on

1999 Edinburgh College of Art Degree Show

Entry to Edinburgh College of Art was by portfolio-only. There was no talking about art. Anyway, I got in. I loved the city, especially the record shops. The course focused on traditional skills like life drawing and portraiture.
It was a funny time for art with the YBA, Saatchi’s Sensation, Emin’s 'Bed', and Hirst’s 'Shark'. That scene wasn’t for me. I thought it pretentious. I chose to paint real people. For my degree show I focused on North East football fans heading to the match. My show sold out, which was encouraging.

Of the hundreds of paintings I have done over the years, I have some digital images, which are shown here in my gallery archive.