Step inside my pigeon loft...

Together we can make great art to enliven both public and private spaces

Sept ‘24: Page under construction. Please bear with me if it looks a little untidy!

I’m an Artist and Designer with experience of:

·         Public art commissions for street murals

·         Creative wayfinding signage for green spaces

·         Commercial murals for retail and hospitality venues

·         Chalkboards and lettering for retail and hospitality

·         Murals and textile design for private residences

·         Murals for schools and community groups

The needs of the client or community I’m working for and the feeling the artwork creates for users of the space are central to my thoughts in the design process. That’s why every project begins with a conversation to help clients arrive a t a brief. I can also offer engagement activities to elicit the ideas of the community and involve local people in the creative process or the implementation.

I love to explore the fusion of lettering with images, combining traditional techniques with modern design. My murals can be bright and bold, or elegant with use of metallics. Most of my work is hand-painted but I can also design for large scale print which gives the flexibility of being able to create:

  • wallpaper panels

  • textile panels

  • printed designs on soft furnishings

  • designs laser cut from metals

  • vinyl wraps

Where I work:

Based in the Royal Borough of Greenwich, I paint murals in London and Kent. I also work across London, Kent, Surrey, East Sussex, Essex, Cambridgeshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire and further afield for projects where an element of remote working is possible such as with murals on boards, large-scale print design & cut metalwork installations.

The creative process:

Finding inspiration

Following from the research phase, it all starts with an idea… It could be something from personal experience, something mentioned by someone who knows the place well or something from historical research. The more I look into a topic or a place, the more fascinating it becomes. Sometimes it becomes borderline obsession, I dream about it and wake up with the spark of an idea in the middle of the night. Sometimes I’m unsure where to begin, so I take courage and just start, ideas forming as I work until through a process of refining and changing, adding and discarding, I arrive at a solution that feels right. As I work, I like to get client feedback at an early stage to help shape the direction of travel.

Media used in design

Whilst my murals are usually painted, a skill in itself, and artwork for print takes the form of a digital file, I use a range of methods in the design process. I like to use paper cutouts, created with small scissors, and linocut prints where I need to simplify to create bold stylistic art. I also enjoy working with pencil, pen and digital pen for fluidity and speed.

Life Experience:

Although art has always been my natural language, I haven’t always been a professional artist… I was once a Physics Teacher and before that, an Outdoors Educator and Museum Educator in the informal learning sector. I create because Art and Science are my Yin and Yang- both integral to the way I see the world and communicate ideas. Working in Education, means that I have lots of experience of leading activities for people of all ages and working in partnership with many organisations to deliver educational projects. This has continued into my work as an artist and I am experienced in leading arts workshops, community planning events and consulting with community members and staff, to gain understanding of the topic for the project, to gather ideas and stories, and to get involved in implementation. It also means that I’m used to considering the audience for an artwork and using this to help me find the best way to communicate ideas to people.

You can have peace of mind when you commission me to create your artwork:

  • Fully insured with Public and Products Liability Insurance of £10 000 000, and Professional Indemnity insurance of £5 000 000.

  • Qualified to work at heights with a mobile elevating work platform, I hold IPAF (International Powered Access Federation) 3a and 3b qualifications for boom and scissor lifts.

  • I provide easy to understand written contracts, so we have clear agreement on all of the details for the project.

  • Check out my Google reviews from previous clients

PS. You may wonder why we are meeting in a pigeon loft… It is not a real pigeon loft but part of my memory and imagination. Growing up in the Northeast, my parents were recommended that fantail pigeons would make a great pet as they could fly free and return home. On moving to East Anglia, our dream of pigeon pets was realised, and my brother and I would go and read stories to the birds so they would get used to our voices. One of the squeakers, named Polly, who hatched during a school holiday became so tame that she would sit on our shoulders. So the pigeon loft is, for me, a caring place of security- a safe place from which to take flight. And if you’re not keen on pigeons, even beautiful fantail doves, we can chat by email, in a video call or in person at a place you prefer.

Right: My brother and I with one of our yound fantail pigeons in around 1990.