About the artist

I guess this project originated in the summer of 2014 when I was stood in the alleyway outside ‘Ye Olde Mitre’ in Holborn, London. It was while I was enjoying a lunchtime beer when I noticed the sunlight catching the top corner of the old building, even though the pub is located in a narrow alleyway surrounded by tall buildings. I decided I would love to try and capture this lighting in a painting sometime in the near future. It was while doing a painting of that same pub some months later, back in my studio, that the concept of producing a series of paintings of my favourite pubs occurred to me.

It was only when I started taking photographs and making sketches that I realised I hadn’t really looked in detail at the exterior of many pubs and had missed some of the notable features they exhibit. The more I study them the more I realise that apart from their individual outward appearance, what a pivotal role they had played within their local communities but sadly they are now closing at an alarming rate. This was brought home to me when one pub that was on my list near Euston Station, ‘The Bree Louise’, was closed before I could ever paint it. I have always had an interest in urban industrial history and I suppose this will become more relevant the longer this project goes on. Unfortunately because of covid-19 this is now even more topical.

There is no scientific process to selecting my subject matter , it is all just personal preference but they all appeal to me in some way. However, there was only one very important criteria I wrote in stone at the beginning and that was I must have tried a beer in the pub itself, preferably a real ale or a craft beer. Being a longtime member of CAMRA, this is no hardship.

I hope you enjoy looking at my paintings and if you like them maybe have a look at my other website which showcases my many landscape paintings at www.lancashirewatercolours.co.uk. If you have any suggestions for subject matter or want to ask me any questions please don’t hesitate to email me and you never know you might see me at the bar in one of your favourite pubs.