My love of art began as a child. I used to take toilet roll (yes - the sharp, tracing paper variety) and trace comics. I would get felt tip pen sets and cheesy HUGE colouring in "bumper" books for christmas. Strange how the blacks always had a purple tinge to them and awlays ran out first?


At school, GCSE art went quite well, but I never really reached my full potential. As for A level art, well, the art was fine, but I could never quite understand why the works of dead artists had any influence on my work today or in the future? (still don't!)


My art came into its own as more of a hobby. I began by using my computer skills, combine with whatever Desktop Design package was available to produce Invitations and greeting cards. Mostly for friends and family, this wasn't a job I could do full time, so I did this outside of work.


My break came when I was at the Town & Country Festival, early in 2006 and saw a pop art style painting of Han Solo from Star Wars. I thought how poor it was for the money being asked for it. So I though, "I can do better than that". I thought I should start off with a painting that I would enjoy painting and like to hang on my own wall. It wasn't long after I'd been to a Thomas Dolby concert in London (his first for many, many years). I took an image from the gig, played around in Photoshop to get the style of the image I needed and painted a 36" square canvas.
I charted the progress of the painting on the Thomas Dolby forum and it was great to get feedback of fellow fans along the way.
I decided to sell the painting after many requests on the forum. I look fondly upon it as the first money making peice of art I have produced.


Although comissions have been slow to start with, I now find that word of mouth has managed to bring in a lot of business. I enjoy painting in this style so much, that I devote most of my spare time doing it. I must make the most of this valuable time, as we now have a little girl. But I'm sure I will find time to continue and who know, she may even provide more subject matter than I could ever have imagined :-)


 Richard


richard@funkyartist.co.uk