An English-born artist/illustrator/designer, now living in Los Angeles and with many years professional experience of design, illustration and graphics - originally in surface-pattern design with Axminster Carpets Limited in Axminster, England. My favourite carpet design/pattern projects there were, in no particular order, The Royal Albert Hall, Windsor Castle, the throne room at Buckingham Palace and Osborne House. There were many other custom design projects of course, but I can play favourites as well as anyone. Design is partly problem-solving, so I suppose that my 'favouritism' stems from the 'Aha!' moment that comes with finding solutions. The brief for the Royal Albert Hall, for instance, asked for the carpet to be woven with the integral border not having to be sewn on at fitting time. Not only that, but the border had to precisely hug the interior walls of a huge oval building. I'm certain I could almost see that funny cartoon lightbulb 'ping' above my head in the moment that it came to me how to do it. The solution, built into the design/weaving process, proved to be very useful in subsequent projects and is a tremendous cost-saving measure because it can eliminate a great deal of wastage at fitting time.
The carpet industry has given me some wonderful experiences but I still remain attracted to the rest of the world of visual arts. From graphic layouts for corporate branding, through digital art (yes, the words 'digital' and 'art' are not mutually exclusive) and on to traditional media. Watercolour is a favourite and like most artists I still have that soft spot for a drawing, either in pencil or pen-and-ink. I've worked, after the advent of being able to create in the virtual world of the computer, to retain my original, hard-learned, drawing and painting skills.
On a less work-related level, I love walking, and I love walking in LA - simply experiencing the city. Something that all too few people here seem keen to do. It feels a little odd to me that in such a beautiful place with fabulous Art Deco and Beaux Arts architecture that people just like to sit in their cars for even short trips. I've truly come to love the sights, sounds and the foods of this great megalopolis and so I've become a "We really should just walk there" evangelist. I also enjoy rugby and it's been such a pleasant surprise to find that Southern California is quite the hotbed of what is, for the United States of America, a niche sport.
The carpet industry has given me some wonderful experiences but I still remain attracted to the rest of the world of visual arts. From graphic layouts for corporate branding, through digital art (yes, the words 'digital' and 'art' are not mutually exclusive) and on to traditional media. Watercolour is a favourite and like most artists I still have that soft spot for a drawing, either in pencil or pen-and-ink. I've worked, after the advent of being able to create in the virtual world of the computer, to retain my original, hard-learned, drawing and painting skills.
On a less work-related level, I love walking, and I love walking in LA - simply experiencing the city. Something that all too few people here seem keen to do. It feels a little odd to me that in such a beautiful place with fabulous Art Deco and Beaux Arts architecture that people just like to sit in their cars for even short trips. I've truly come to love the sights, sounds and the foods of this great megalopolis and so I've become a "We really should just walk there" evangelist. I also enjoy rugby and it's been such a pleasant surprise to find that Southern California is quite the hotbed of what is, for the United States of America, a niche sport.
