You may or may not be aware that I was born and bred in the North East of England. More specifically, I had lived my whole life in the same postcode, NE21, in Blaydon-on-Tyne. That changed when I was 36 years old and made the move to South East London in May 2024. Almost a year on, I am just starting to feel like I'm finding my feet.
I am using this blog post to catch you up with the first year. It has been a bit of a bumpy ride and I have not been as productive as I would have liked. This blog post is for people who would like to know a bit more about the artist behind the artwork. I will mention some mental and physical health issues as these have affected my productivity. I believe I am at the end of this bumpy patch and expect the rest of 2025 to be full of new artwork and adventures! If you would like to keep up to date with my projects, exhibitions, and other happenings, please subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on Instagram.
The reason for the move to London was for my wife's work, the opportunities in the art sector for myself, and for the experience/adventure it would bring.
I have had mental health issues for as long as I remember. Including on-and-off self-harm. I had always self-managed and I had never felt comfortable talking about my issues. I had also known I was somewhat averse to change, and my mental health would take a dive when changes came about.
I was not prepared for how I would react to a move to London.
Along with all the changes that came with the move, my wife and I had some big health scares on both sides our family. To cut a long story short, the symptoms from the stress and anxiety that developed led to the discovery of a tumour in my brain in October 2024, and a diagnosis of autism in February 2025.
The tumour is believed to be benign - i.e. non-cancerous or aggressive. It should hopefully just need regular scans for the rest of my life to make sure nothing changes. I have recently had a second round of scans and I am waiting for a consultation to receive the results. It is quite scary, and has obviously done nothing for the stress. I have started working on a body of work based on this. The personal approach is quite different to how I would normally create artwork. It usually related to spaces and environments found in the world.
The autism diagnosis is also still fresh. I am receiving professional help with learning more about myself and how I can manage the stress and anxiety. I mentioned earlier that I had experience with self-harm. I am now aware that the majority of this is actually something known as meltdowns. My main aim is to reduce the frequency of these, although learning about autism in general is super interesting! I may do a blog about this topic along the line, but as I have lived over 36 years without being diagnosed, I don't define myself in this way. I am also not a big fan of labels as they can prevent people seeing each other as more than the stereotypes that come with it. We are all unique and so much more than any labels we have chosen or been given. As I learn more, and put in place the tools I am being given to help myself, I am regaining my creativity and focus.
If there's any advice I could pass on from this experience, it would be; if you're struggling, seek help. Even if you think you can self-manage, seek help. If you think others might judge you, stuff them, seek help. You never know what life is going to throw at you and what could tip you over the edge. Best to be ahead of it than playing catch-up.
My artwork has always been about bringing light, joy, inspiration, etc. to the viewer. Life throws crap at us all. We just need to figure out how to push through. It's easier with help, but it is our own strength that will ultimately get us there.
Anyway...
Among all the stress and anxiety, I have been enjoying exploring London! There are some really cool sights to be hunted out, and loads of amazing events to attend. I am not sure it is somewhere I could live long-term, I think I am more of a countryside-kind-of-chap, but I am certainly not regretting this experience!
I secured a studio at Thames-side Studios in July 2024. It is the UK's largest site of artists and makers with around 550 studios, access to kilning, a print studio, spray booth, sculpture workshop, photography studio, dark room, our own framer, two cafes, a public gallery, two private galleries, and more. It is great! I created my latest body of paintings in this studio, and have two more projects on the go.
As you may have gathered, I do not like writing/talking about myself! As I write more blog posts, I imagine this will become easier. Future posts should be full of good news, and less about hardships, too. I like to think my sense of humour will become more apparent...
The rest of 2025 will definitely be bringing:
April - artworks in BobCat Gallery, Putney Exchange, Putney, London, SW15 1TW.
May/June - a new gallery ran by artists on High Street West, Sunderland, SR1 1DX.
June - Open Studios at Thames-side Studios, Woolwich, London, SE18 5NR.
December - A solo exhibition at The Lounge, Thames-side Studios, SE18 5NR.
Lots of new artwork!
I am always applying to, and on the lookout for, opportunities. So sign up to my newsletter to keep up to date. I aim to send one out every 2-3 months, unless there's a major update. So do not worry about getting bombarded by emails from me.
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