Kevin feels a strong personal attachment to every work and his approach is an emotional one. This gives each piece a certain gritty romance, as the affection and nostalgia comes across in every brush stroke. Influenced by artists such as John Singer Sargent, Jamie Wyeth and Edward Hopper painters who simply looked and painted what was in front of them as well as more constructed narrative works that project stories. The other major influence on his work is that of cinema and he particularly admires Ridley Scot, Terrence Malik and Christopher Nolan. His images are always narrative in tone and he aims to tell a story with every scene. The cinematic sweep of each piece is in part the consequence of his dictum that painting “a response to the light and the feel of a moment, a way to communicate this with the viewer.”’
When painting his cityscapes or coastal scenes, Kevin prefers to paint ‘en plein air - from life – in all weathers. Carrying a camera tripod with an easel attachment and an oils tin to hold the oil paint, he has become a familiar sight to locals as he makes his way through town and country ready to paint the beauty he sees in the everyday.
He says: “I feel that painting outdoors is a great experience, both a physical challenge and an artistic one. It can also be more therapeutic than painting in the studio as you have to focus so utterly, and I believe a strong sense of place seeps into the work. Taking on all the distractions makes it exciting. You have lots of changes in light which you have to capture so it makes you work a lot faster and looser.”
Kevin was born and brought up in South Shields. After graduating with a diploma in Illustration he went on to become a successful professional artist whose work has been exhibited to great acclaim in the UK and Europe: he also has collectors as far afield as the USA and Australia. He has undertaken commissions for clients ranging from international folk musician and BBC Radio2 presenter Kathryn Tickell to the Barbour Clothing Company.
“I love many places in Britain but my home town, Newcastle, is very close to my heart. It achieves such a rich balance in such a small area of gritty streets with immense character. I love the North East coast and industrial Teesside too, and the beaches and bays of Northumberland have inspired many of my own favourite paintings.”
(Photo Jan Panke)
When painting his cityscapes or coastal scenes, Kevin prefers to paint ‘en plein air - from life – in all weathers. Carrying a camera tripod with an easel attachment and an oils tin to hold the oil paint, he has become a familiar sight to locals as he makes his way through town and country ready to paint the beauty he sees in the everyday.
He says: “I feel that painting outdoors is a great experience, both a physical challenge and an artistic one. It can also be more therapeutic than painting in the studio as you have to focus so utterly, and I believe a strong sense of place seeps into the work. Taking on all the distractions makes it exciting. You have lots of changes in light which you have to capture so it makes you work a lot faster and looser.”
Kevin was born and brought up in South Shields. After graduating with a diploma in Illustration he went on to become a successful professional artist whose work has been exhibited to great acclaim in the UK and Europe: he also has collectors as far afield as the USA and Australia. He has undertaken commissions for clients ranging from international folk musician and BBC Radio2 presenter Kathryn Tickell to the Barbour Clothing Company.
“I love many places in Britain but my home town, Newcastle, is very close to my heart. It achieves such a rich balance in such a small area of gritty streets with immense character. I love the North East coast and industrial Teesside too, and the beaches and bays of Northumberland have inspired many of my own favourite paintings.”
(Photo Jan Panke)
