Profile

 Biography
Martin grew up in the coalfields of Derbyshire in the UK during the 1950’s and 60’s, painting and drawing from an early age - as soon as he could grasp a brush or pencil in fact.  His art has always been a private passion, one that he has carried with him ever since childhood, through the 1970’s as a student and on into his adult life.
Martin graduated from the University of Birmingham, UK in 1976 with an honours degree in Economics and spent the next 30 years in the UK Fire & Rescue service. He only turned fully to painting from 2008 after he left the service and found the time to devote to it.
In 2010 Martin was shortlisted for the Art of Giving, National Art Competition at the Saatchi Gallery, London.

About his art
Martin considers himself a modern traditionalist painter. His subject matter may vary, in so far as he doesn't have a consistent theme or thread running through his work, although he is always moved by what may lie behind superficial appearances. His imagination is usually fired by something he finds in everyday things, things that are often linked to a memory from the past.  Sometimes just part of a remembered image-even a simple one like the way sunlight plays on a hat brim-is all it takes. For him there is a kind of strength, even beauty, inside everything if you look closely  enough – it doesn’t have to be anything intrinsically pretty, or attractive or especially worthy of attention. In his experience quite often it is better if it isn’t.
Martin is largely self taught and consider himself a student practicing art; probably he always will.. He produces work in numerous different media but his heart lies in oils because he love its plasticity and textural qualities. Perhaps because of his love of handling paint producing art for him has always been as much about the creative process itself as the end product.
Above all what he gets out of art is a kind of endless, compulsive challenge. When Martin gets up from painting he feels an immediate compulsion to go straight back to it again and as long as the drive remains he will always paint.
My greatest hope is that his art might reach out to the observer, mean something more than just a passing glance or strike a chord within them they were perhaps unaware even existed. Showing his work means laying himself bare but it is something he loves to do as it makes it possible for him to make a connection with others......but it’s not why he paint, it never was. Painting for him just calms the soul.