Artist’s stories will always differ due to personality and the way their minds work. Some artists tell fantastic tales of imaginary people and places, others of real life events, still others of actual places they’ve visited and been inspired to paint. Some artist’s stories are only known to them as they fill their canvas with abstract marks and colour.

The story I’m preparing to tell at my upcoming exhibition is one that involves all of us. It is the story of our planet, our home. It is a story with two contributing factors, man and nature.

The exhibition is called The Earth That Used To Be Blue & Other Stories and it will be at The Gallery Upstairs, Upton Country Park, Poole, Dorset. It will run from Feb 2nd to the 13th. I will be displaying work influenced by our rapidly changing environment and looking at aspects of our pollutive history which have contributed to “man’s great progress” at a deadly cost.

The initial idea for this exhibition started when I was snorkelling in Cyprus last year. I was amazed to see such beauty in this different world but it was littered with our cast offs mainly consisting of plastic. It made me realise that by looking under the surface of what appears to be beautiful and calm can often reveal a grim, sinister truth.

There will be a variety of work on display ranging from small to large in oil, watercolour, acrylic, charcoal and mixed media and at affordable prices. I will also have details about my workshops which are held regularly to help artists develop or help beginners start painting.

If you can make it along to the exhibition I look forward to seeing you.