Quadrophenia Album Painting Commission.
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I recently completed a painting commission of The Who's iconic 'Quadrophenia' Album cover. The original image of mod kid 'Chad' (Terry Kennett), sitting astride his beloved scooter, was photographed by Graham Hughes in 1973. It was a hard piece to complete, as it had been a while since I've worked on something so figurative and I wanted it to keep it painterly, while still retain the original smokey photographic style.

I worked on the painting over several months alongside other projects and was very pleased to finally hand it over to it's new owner,  life long Who fan Gary. It takes pride of place in his front room next to his vast record collection and above his beloved bass guitar.

Staffordshire Enjoy Art IN:SHAPE Exhibition
Pleased to announce that my work has been selected for a new exhibition based at the award winning World Of Wedgwood Museum. I have eight paintings in the exhibition, including three entirely new works. The exhibition is the second in the 2016 Staffordshire Enjoy Art Exhibition Series, touring artists' work around the county.

Staffordshire Enjoy Art represents a distinguished group of local artists whose dedication to their creative passion is recognised well beyond county borders. From ceramics, galleries and painting to photography, sculptures, textiles and more, Staffordshire Enjoy Art offers something for everyone.
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Staffordshire Enjoy Art will be exhibiting ‘IN:SHAPE’ from 27th June to 7th August 2016 at World of Wedgwood, with the exhibition appearing adjacent to the entrance of the award winning Wedgwood Museum which houses a UNESCO protected collection of huge cultural significance.

Entrance to the exhibition is free of charge. Open: Mon - Fri 10am to 5pm, Sat - Sun 10am to 4pm.
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For more information about the Staffordshire Enjoy Art ‘IN:SHAPE’ Exhibition, please contact 01543 478899 or email [email protected]

I managed to get over to Shugborough Hall Estate during the easter holidays and check out the IN:HOUSE Exhibition. Greg and the Staffordshire Enjoy Art team have done a fantastic job! The exhibition is based in the Mansion House of the Shugborough Hall Estate, in the late Lord Lichfield's private apartments. Though a relatively small space, the exhibition has a really diverse range of artworks by 20 Staffordshire based artists. 

Those who know me, know how much I love cycling and spotting a break in the weather, I decided to ride the 20 miles from my home studio in Burton On Trent to the Shugborough Estate. It's a great cycle route, on quiet country lanes, taking in small villages, hamlets and farmsteads, taking in some wonderful views of the Staffordshire landscape.

The exhibition runs from March 25th to May 2nd 2016 and entry to the exhibition is included with the price of admission.
 

As you may have heard, The Staffordshire Enjoy Art IN:HOUSE exhibition is now under way and there is a wonderful variety of work on show by professional artists and makers from across Staffordshire.

The IN:HOUSE Exhibition, which is based within the magnificent Mansion House of the National Trust's Shugborough Hall Estate, is the first of three exclusive group exhibitions showcasing Staffordshire Artists. The exhibition runs from March 25th to May 2nd 2016 and entry to the exhibition is included with the price of admission.

Very pleased that I was able to submit work for the exhibition, as it gets a a huge foot fall, with hundreds of visitors experiencing a diverse range of contemporary artworks in a unique environment. I had all four of my mixed media paintings selected for the show;

'Where The Water Divides', Mixed Media On Canvas,59.5cm x 84.5cm.
'Just Off The Coast', Mixed Media On Canvas, 51cm x 20.5cm. 
'All At One Point' , Mixed Media On Canvas,51cm x 20.5cm.
'April Skies' , Mixed Media On Canvas, 51cm x 20.5cm.
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All artworks are for sale. Really worth a visit as it's a fantastically strong exhibition in a beautifully unique location.

Shugborough Estate Exhibition 25th March to the 2nd May.
Next month I'll be exhibiting some new work at the historic Shugborough Hall Estate. The exhibition is part of the Staffordshire Enjoy Art Exhibition Series. An exhibition of Staffordshire's finest talent! Promoting artists from across the county, bringing their works together for a unique Spring exhibition. It's the fourth time I've exhibited at Shugborough and it's always a rewarding experience. It's such an amazing location for an exhibition and well worth the trip to explore the historic grounds and beautiful gardens. The display of works will be based within Lord  Lichfield’s private cinema, which he created within his apartments in Shugborough’s magnificent Mansion House. 

Hopefully I'll be exhibiting four new works, which currently, at this very moment are very much in progress on the studio floor. All are expressive and textural landscapes and so far I'm really happy with the way they're developing. No doubt I'll still be working on them the night before hanging day or even in the morning of delivery day. I'll endeavour to get a few in progress photos posted up here in the next few weeks.
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Entry to the exhibition is included with the price of admission to the estate. It's a great day out for the whole family and just so happens to be Easter half-term week, so a perfect opportunity to explore, educate and inspire! ​

​For more info please visit: http://www.shugborough.org.uk/Events/Events.aspx
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Well 2015 disappeared in a flash. If you're a parent, you may know what it's like being PA to two school age small people. Trips, Homework, Clubs, Sports Days, Performances, Social Engagements, the long list goes on. You have to be on call and engaged 24/7, whilst proactively pre-empting possible future crisis points. How I managed to create and get new work into three major exhibitions last year, is beyond miraculous!

Spring 2015 saw work on display in the impressive Mansion House on the historic Shugborough Hall Estate and the exhibition was seen by a record number visitors. Summer 2015 saw a return to Lichfield Cathedral, somewhere I'd exhibited previously and is a wonderful landmark to show work in. The Autumn exhibition was at The New Vic Theatre, in a wonderful newly refurbished gallery space and cafe. The exhibitions were very successful and received loads of positive feedback. Thanks must go to the team from Staffordshire Enjoy Art for all their help with organising logistics and the promotion of the exhibition schedule.

The new year brings new challenges as ever, but I'm feeling pretty positive about the tasks that lay ahead. I have loads of new work in progress and several creative projects underway. I'm going to try hard to keep this blog updated and streamline my social media presence. I should be exhibiting again at the Shugborough Estate Mansion House in the spring and the Wedgewood Museum & Gallery over summer. I'll get more details on dates and entry times up here when things are more formally confirmed.

Here's to a peaceful, productive and prosperous 2016!

Be Creative.

Welcome to the new website and blog! It was a time for change. Things needed upgrading, the site needed to be more responsive and less cluttered. I'm still getting used to the new format, so forgive the slight randomness. Also, I'm hoping to transfer all the archived news from the old website across onto this blog too, that I'll get round to when time permits. It's been quite cathartic ditching the old website, allowing me to focus on the artwork that most represents me, move forward and develop my portfolio. This blog should be a better way to communicate news, updates, ideas and thoughts. 

That's all for now, 

AK.

"Being inexhaustible, life and nature are a constant stimulus for a creative mind." - Hans Hofmann.