Artist Bio

I am a British fine artist working primarily in soft pastel, creating expressive, atmospheric works that explore light, movement, and form. My paintings are held in private collections across the UK.

Art has been an instinctive part of my life for as long as I can remember. As a child, I began by copying images from comic books and Christmas cards, and over the years — almost by accident — I accumulated what feels like my own “10,000 hours” of practice. In recent years, with the encouragement of my wife and family, I committed fully to the craft, developing a focused portfolio and submitting work to exhibitions and open calls. The response and recognition that followed were both unexpected and transformative, marking the true beginning of my professional journey.

My work is rooted in close observation of the natural world and a deep fascination with the interplay of light and shadow. With a background in science, I am trained to notice subtle relationships within form, value, and atmosphere — sensitivities that now guide every stage of my painting process. I am drawn to soft pastels for their immediacy and tactile control, allowing me to work directly by hand and respond intuitively to the subject.

Rather than pursuing strict realism, my practice is centred on capturing the energy and presence of a subject. I build each piece from the darkest values upward, establishing structure through bold mark-making, sculpting depth through mid-tones, and finally introducing highlights to bring the work to life and guide the viewer’s eye. My focus is on value contrast over literal colour accuracy, using light and shadow to create emotional resonance and spatial depth.

I approach each painting with only a loose plan, allowing the composition to evolve organically. This improvisational process is central to my work — embracing spontaneity, resisting overworking, and letting the subject emerge naturally. For me, painting is not simply about representation, but about preserving the vitality of a moment: the quiet balance between control and freedom, observation and instinct.

Recent Exhibitions

Chris has been selected to exhibit at the Royal British Artists (RBA) upcoming exhibition that runs from Feb 26th - March 7th at the Mall Galleries in London. Chris has also been selected to exhibit (third consecutive selection) at the annual Pastel Society exhibition, in their upcoming 2026 showing which runs January 21st - February 7th. Chris exhibited with the Pastel Society (PS) in the ‘Benchmark’ exhibition of February 2025 where he was awarded the Pastel Society Catalogue Award 2025 second prize. He previously exhibited with the Pastel Society (PS) in 2024 as well as with the Royal Society of Marine Artists (RSMA) and the Society of Wildlife Artists (SWLA) at the Mall Galleries in London. Chris has exhibited with Boomer Gallery at the Tower Bridge in London in an exhibition curated by the great Anthony Fawcett, and he was also a part of the New Bath Arts Club (NBAC) who held their inaugural exhibition at the Roper Gallery in Bath. He has exhibited at the prestigious London Art Biennale at the Old Town Hall in Chelsea and was selected to be a Wildcard Artist on Sky Arts’ Landscape Artist of the Year. He made the longlist for the Visual Artist Association (VAA) Artist of the Year award was and a highly commended artist in the Explorers Against Extinction Sketch For Survival competition. His work has been highlighted in House & Garden magazine by Conde Nast, publications by Bristol 24/7 and The Bristol magazine and also in Somerset Life.