I make two or three journeys each year to turn into travelling exhibitions around the country although the ideas have often been originally commissioned to be made into cards, book illustrations or prints. The last few years have been spent fulfilling various one man show obligations at various galleries before a major fact finding mission which took me around the world from California across Europe, then the Middle East, India and finally ended up in Indonesia.
2023 has been one of my busiest years so far, spending many hours at the easel producing my images for the public and commercial markets. I am lucky enough to usually have a long list of commissions to finish and am currently working on a series of classic cars for their fortunate owners (one worth £50 million!) Then I must move onto a series of images of Southern California for a forthcoming solo show.
I have just returned from an extended tour of Scandinavia finding possible future images and the galleries there to market them. It was my 70th birthday while I was away, luckily nobody suggested I retired. look out for some of this seasons images on my website soon.
Graham was taught to paint by his father at the kitchen table by copying the old masters from 1930’s National Gallery catalogues ad trying to learn the techniques of Frans Hals, Rembrandt and Gainsborough.
The revelation came when at the age of 15 he visited the gallery in person and found the sunlit paintings of the French Impressionists and realised there was a whole new and exciting world out there. It took twenty years, a lot of practise, exhibitions and sales before Graham realised his dream and bought a house and studio near the Seine in Monet country and spent the next ten years there perfecting his own style to become a successful painter and illustrator.
“In choosing the pictures for this site I wanted to choose ones my Dad might have liked and understood. He would have wanted to recognise the places I visited, the clouds would have to look light and airy but most of all the sea and rivers to look like they were made out of water! I spent many hours on the South Downs with him painting and sketching but my favourites painting memories were teaching my Dad how to paint in the Impressionist style….at the old kitchen table “
Graham’s images are often familiar as they are used as illustrations for books or licensed for prints, posters and cards. The originals are to be found in private and public collections worldwide. He also has worked widely with students and art schools, not as a teacher but just to impart enthusiasm and guidance to emerging artists on a voluntary basis.
Graham currently has his main studio and gallery in Hertfordshire but has spent the summer travelling between homes in Selsey and Menorca.