Artist Statement

I’m a self-taught British fine artist working in soft pastel, creating expressive, atmospheric pieces that explore light, movement, and form. My work is held in private collections across the UK. My innate passion has always been art - as a child I started by drawing things from comic books and Christmas cards and I probably got my ‘10,000 hours’ of training by accident. Over the last few years, and through the encouragement of my wife and family, I began to take that craft more seriously and soon I had a small portfolio. I finally began sending my works off to exhibitions and open calls and the (unexpected) success and support that followed from these kinds of channels really kick-started this wonderful journey. I began to observe the interplay of light and shadow in painting and, as my career progressed, I found myself drawn more deeply into the creative processes of painting - which lead me to choose soft pastels as a medium – as I can apply the medium directly by hand and have a lot of control. The precision and patience of science taught me to see subtleties in the natural world and painting subjects. My method is centred on capturing the energy and life of a subject rather than pursuing ultra-realism, focusing on light and colour to evoke emotion and depth. I paint using soft pastel sticks, beginning with the darkest values and bold mark-making to create the profile. From there, I build depth and sculpt the forms through mid-tones before adding highlights and lightest values to bring the piece to life and direct the viewer’s eye. My focus is on value contrasts rather than strict adherence to colour accuracy, as I aim to convey the interplay between light and shadow. I embrace spontaneity in my work, planning only loosely and allowing the composition to evolve organically. This improvisational approach reflects my enjoyment of the creative process itself, resisting the urge to "overpaint" and letting the subject emerge naturally.

Biography & Recent Exhibitions

Chris exhibited again 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.