Inspirations

Stories about paintings and artists that inspire me

Image

Story

Dubel Art Prize 2024

Sometimes in life you get genuine moments where you have to pinch yourself and ask, “is this really happening?!”. For me, this was definitely the case on Thursday 9th May 2024, a day that I’ll never forget and one that I will eternally be grateful for. From the moment I arrived and…
Read more
Landscape Artist of the Year

On June 20th 2023 I had one of the best experiences of my life at Hever Castle, Kent. I was a contestant (a Wildcard) Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year – my favourite TV show! I arrived early in the day (we had to be there for 7am) and there was…
Read more
Mark Tennant – unnamed

Mark’s work is, put simply, f*cking cool! This painting in particular has so much attitude and an edgy narrative that gives you the middle finger. What was it that grabbed me? Mark’s paintings take you to your youth and that time in life when you partied the night away. Bare in mind…
Read more
Jaws Poster

What’s great about the art world is how accessible it is. Artists aren’t stuffy, or aloof (well a couple are). They share a passion for art, so are often really accommodating to people interested in their art and approach Sally Hastings is someone I came across on Reddit and subsequently Instagram. She’s…
Read more
Floor Scrapers

In 1993 I visited Paris with my school art class. We had the (unrealised at the time) privilege of visiting many of the art museums in the city. We saw Monets, Van Goghs, Da Vincis, and more, but the painting that made me go “wow”, was a painting by an artist who…
Read more
Nighthawks

A painting that always struck me as both, cool and enigmatic. It adorned posters, it straddled the art world and the pop culture world, before pop art. Painted in 1942 – during turbulent times in a worrying world, Hopper painted this iconic scene that illustrated the human condition of isolation and loneliness…
Read more
My Parents

Colour! That’s what initially grabbed me about this painting, but before I get into it – let me tell you about this painting. On the left, sits his mother and the on the right, his father – reading an art & photography book. The painting was completed a year prior to his…
Read more
Impression, Sunrise.

On my 1993 Paris trip with my school art class. I saw this famous Monet painting alongside a number of treasures, but the punch of the sun stays with me. The rest of the landscape is muted, the silhouette of the fishermen, given weight alongside the ripples in the harbour, against the…
Read more
What Time Do You Finish?

I love Norman Rockwell’s work, but dare I say that Will Roachfort has taken the baton and accelerated with it? This painting has the humour and story telling of Rockwell at his finest. I can’t really pick a particular favourite from Will’s work, but this one is so timeless and beautifully executed…
Read more