My Perfect Art's – Original Art Blog

Category: Biographies

  • Leigh Lambert – Biography of the artist

    Leigh Lambert – Biography of the artist

    Leigh Lambert is an incredibly talented artist born and raised in the north east of England, more specifically – Newcastle Upon-Tyne.

    Leigh’s work is known for its stunning levels of detail and ability to convey familiar story’s.

    His talent was recognised at a very early age by his family, friends and teachers at school such was his prolific output of drawings, it is sometimes joked that he was born with a pencil in his hand!

    The Lambert family waved goodbye to the north east and moved further south to historic town of Warwick in 1996. Here he continued to develop the unique style of painting that he is now famous for.

    His style has hints of Lowry with its cobbled streets and terraced housing, unlike Lowry though, his pieces are punctuated with bold bursts of colour across the drab, grey backdrops and there is a wistful melancholy permeated with the joy of children at play.

    Each and every one of Leigh’s paintings has its own unique story to tell, from the bleak but lively neighbourhoods of Newcastle and Gateshead and colourful play of the local children, there is a strong sense of nostalgia and humour imbued as standard.

    Around 2002 Leigh started to be more confident in his ability and would create pieces, initially for, friends and family as an outlet for his long loved hobby.

    Fast forward to 2005 and he had risen to the lofty heights of the UK’s best-selling published artist! I think you’ll agree, quite the meteoric rise!

    In the same year, a report from the BBC news (national, not regional) dubbed him the most popular living artist in the UK.

    Following this new found celebrity status Leigh has gone on to exhibit his artwork in worldwide and has become a firm favourite amongst keen art collectors.

    The Watergate Street Gallery was bestowed the honour of hosting Leigh’s first solo exhibition, some 15 years ago now, relatively recently if you consider how popular and ever present he is now.

    His work continues to conjure up childhood memories and a longing of more innocent times passed.

    It’s clear that his passion and dedication to art will continue to inspire generations to come.

    If you would like to enjoy his artwork but haven’t yet had the pleasure, you can view all the Leigh Lambert pieces we house here at My Perfect Art by clicking the link here.

    Enjoy!

  • Paul Oz – Biography of the artist

    Paul Oz – Biography of the artist

    Paul Oz is an explosive British portrait artist – focused on the maximum 3D impact and energy via the thick oil paint of his artworks.

    He has been creating artworks for a variety of acclaimed figures and organisations, such as Sir Alex Ferguson, Theo Paphitis, Roger De Haan, Chris Moyles, Instituto Ayrton Senna, Jenson Button, Red Bull, Pirelli, Lewis Hamilton, Jake Humphrey, Wretch32 and JLS, and is the official licensed artist to Bruce Lee Enterprises, Star Trek, Denis the Menace, Ali, Mr Men and Little Miss, Thunderbirds, and many many more.

    Paul Oz is a self-taught artist who discovered his taste for, and artistic skill, while browsing artworks for his new apartment.

    As a young boy, he could draw realistically in pencil and was even said to be able to recreate Monet’s distinct painting style, to a degree at least.

    His family persuaded him to follow a, supposedly, more academic path than art, and pursue a career as an engineer.

    Taking heed of his family’s advice he opted to study Aerospace Engineering at University.

    Many years later, while browsing artworks for his aforementioned apartment, a thought struck him: “I could do this”.

    At home, he tried his hand with acrylic paint and was quick to very quick to rediscover his talent.

    He quickly took on painting over his weekends and eventually took a break from his everyday job in software brand development.

    He had a solo show in 2008, however trying to find a balance between his career and his hobby was proving difficult.

    Nevertheless, in 2009, he decided to down his ‘work tools’ and to fully focus on using his ‘creative tools’, and he hasn’t stopped painting since, using his favourite leisure time activities, such as watching formula 1 races and movies, as inspiration.

    His style is very well received by the very people he likes to paint, as his number of licensed associations above will attest.

    Paul’s paintings have an extraordinary and embellished look, earning the interesting title of “explosive“. He strives for the impression of explosive energy, movement, expression and the maximum in 3D effect when he paints – several techniques combining for the stellar end result.

    Paul Oz is represented by Imitate Modern gallery and he is currently based in Cheltenham and London, UK.

    His list of commissions boast some of the very biggest most prominent names and brands in the world. Have you ever heard of Star Trek or Bruce Lee perhaps? Of course you have!

    His works include portraits of public figures, such as the Queen of England, cartoons and toys, and other works inspired by Formula One racing, Team Sky on the Tour of Britain, Chelsea, and The Art of Star Wars.

    Paul Oz is an artist who strives for maximum visual impact and energy in his artwork. His distinctive style captures the attention of his audience, making his art very desirable and a wise investment.

    With a list of impressive clients, Paul Oz has certainly made a name for himself as a talented portrait artist and sculptor.

    Unfamiliar with his work? Take a deep dive of what he has to offer by clicking here.

  • Mackenzie Thorpe – Biography of the artist

    Mackenzie Thorpe – Biography of the artist

    Mackenzie Thorpe is a British artist, born in 1956 in the largely working class and industrial town of Middlesbrough, Teeside – home of the famous Transporter Bridge.

    The eldest of seven children, Thorpe’s father worked as a labourer and his mother as an auxiliary nurse.

    Despite a pretty difficult upbringing and suffering from from (initially undiagnosed) dyslexia, Mackenzie found solace and confidence in his love of painting and drawing.

    He eventually mustered the courage to enter the local art college, where his strength and enthusiasm earned him a place at the Middlesbrough College of Art and eventually led him to the Byam Shaw School of Art in London.

    After leaving art school, Mackenzie spent several years working with and helping inner-city children in central London before he decided to upsticks and move back to the north east of England where he settled in the sumptuous surroundings of beautiful North Yorkshire to set up a studio, a far cry from the hustle and bustle of inner city London.

    Once settled in the region he also opened his own gallery with his wife, Susan, and children, Owen and Chloe.

    Since then, he has risen to position himself as one of the world’s most collected and sought-after artists.

    His works express the full gamut of of human emotion, from the intimately special bond of love and friendship, to the self referential importance of self-reflection and trumpeting of individual triumphs.

    His works are often remarked to be a tribute to the creativity within us all and are a vivid expression of hope and the human spirit.

    Mackenzie is credited with helping to change the face of art publishing in the UK and has created one of the most recognisable and acclaimed oeuvres in contemporary art.

    His perspective on life is a very clear one – often life is a struggle, but that we should be aware of and nurture our dreams. He also is keen to display that love and honesty will always triumph over adversity in the end.

    The famous bronze sculpture called ‘Waiting for me Dad’ was placed next to the Titanic Memorial Garden in Southampton, England and it stands as a poignant reminder of the power of love, hope and faith.

    Mackenzie has been exhibited extensively worldwide, namely throughout Europe, the United States and Australia.

    His works can be found in a huge number of public and private collections across the world and he continues to be an inspiration and a testament to the resilience of the human spirit.

    If you aren’t yet familiar with his phenomenal body of work, see what we have to offer from him by clicking here

  • JJ Adams – Biography of the artist

    JJ Adams – Biography of the artist

    JJ Adams is an English mixed media contemporary pop artist and graphic designer born in Plymouth of March 1978. The son of a Baptist preacher, JJ and his family changed the sunny south coast of Plymouth for vibrant Cape Town, South Africa in the early eighties, this was not an easy time to be in South Africa. 

    Once there, he attended a number of different schools as he and his family moved between Bloemfontein and Cape Town, where they finally settled for the next 13 years.

    In his youth, Adams was heavily into skateboarding and graffiti, and was enamoured by hip hop culture. This culminated in him being arrested for colourfully painting the side of a building in Cape Town. 

    He was also a keen musician and played guitar in a local band formed by friends. His work would later feature graffiti and street art as well as his tattoo and musical influences.

    Adams spent much of his youth hanging around the studio of the popualr South African contemporary landscape artist Derric van Rensburg. This is where he discovered his love for bright vibrant colour schemes and graphic art. 

    After selling a few of his acrylic paintings through a local gallery, Adams decided it was high time he returned to the UK, this time moving right to the heart of the action in London and pursue his art career there.

    Adams’ work can be found in galleries worldwide and he has done exhibitions with the likes of Rolls-Royce and Bang & Olufsen. His art has also been featured in such illustrious magazines as Vogue and GQ. 

    His work often features elements of graffiti, street art, tattoos and pop culture icons, and he describes his work as a simple formula of remixing something old with something new. 

    He always listens to music while he works and credits it as a constant source of inspiration – he’s also an avid record collector – his favourite band being the legendary Pink Floyd.

    Adams is married with five children and currently resides in South London, he keeps his personal life private and away from social media, unlike so many. 

    Through the sale of his artwork, Adams regularly donates to charities in the UK, and even raised over £5,000 for a charity at auction in 2015 with a small 20cm x 20cm painting of his. 

    He has curated bespoke artworks for two high-profile London restaurants, Hyde in Kensington and The Frog by Adam Handling in Covent Garden and his work is lovingly collected by celebrities and famous musicians such as Slash from Guns N’ Roses and Shaun Ryder of the Happy Mondays.

    Adams has developed a unique style of hiding many things in his paintings, a style that he learned from his father and a jigsaw puzzle he loved as a child, as well spending many hours studying album covers from bands like Iron Maiden and Pink Floyd. 

    His biggest influence is South African artist Derric Van Rensburg alongside other artists such as Storm Thorgerson, Norman Rockwell, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol and Sir Peter Blake. 

    As one can see, JJ Adams is an incredibly talented and inspiring artist who has come a long way from his humble beginnings in art way back in South Africa.

    We love JJ and always stock limited edition prints of his due to their brilliance and popularity.

    Have a look at what JJ Adams has to offer by clicking here

  • Sherree Valentine Daines – Biography of the artist

    Sherree Valentine Daines – Biography of the artist

    Sherree Valentine Daines is an acclaimed British modern impressionist painter. She has been at the forefront of the British art scene for over 35 years.

    Born in 1959 in Effingham, Surrey, she started her career as a legal secretary in London before she decided to throw caution to the wind and start on a degree in painting from the Epsom School of Art.

    Valentine-Daines’ works have been shown at many of the world’s most prestigious and high-profile venues – the Tate Gallery, the Barbican, the Royal Society of British Artists and the Lord’s Museum to name but a few.

    Her pieces are also held in many private collections around the world, including those of the British royal family, former Prime Minister (and Edwina Currie enthusiast) Sir John Major and many high profile A list members of show business and sports world’s.

    She has been praised for her ridiculously high technical brilliance, stylistic virtuosity and meticulous observation that permeates her work.

    She captures the beauty of everyday British life, from the elegance of social gatherings to the innocence of children playing at the seaside. Her paintings are known for their impressionistic, painterly approach, with each detail carefully blended into a timeless creation.

    Valentine-Daines has achieved great success in her career and is seen as the UK’s leading modern impressionist.

    You will have seen many of her works presented on the screen as she has been has been featured on television programmes, including ‘To the Manor Bowen’ and ‘This Morning’, and she has even been appointed Artist in Residence to Cunard’s extraordinarily luxurious Three Queens ocean liners.

    Her book ‘First Impressions’ was released in 2019 to celebrate her life and career and a series of bronze sculptures from this time have become very highly desired collector’s items, as with much of her work

    Sherree Valentine-Daines is a hugely influential figure in the British art scene and her work continues to amaze people all over the world.

    We are so lucky to have a wide selection of her artwork in stock at My Perfect Art, take a look by clicking here if you’ve not yet had the pleasure.

  • Craig Alan – Biography of the artist

    Craig Alan – Biography of the artist

    Craig Alan is a contemporary artist who is best known for his visceral and unique visual expression.

    Born in Southern Californian city of San Bernardino in 1971, Alan and his family moved to the south eastern state of Louisiana where he grew up in the vibrant multi cultural landscape that is New Orleans.

    The perfect place for any budding artist to grow up, New Orleans provided the cultural melting pot of ideas that would sculpt his artistic future. There he honed his creative expression and began exploring his own innovative impulses.

    His early work largely focused around the form of street portraiture – this enabled him to be constantly perfecting his skill in replicating the human form whilst also giving him financial security – not to mention fun, front facing interactions with the subjects of his work.

    Alan eventually moved to Alabama’s fourth most populated city, Mobile, where he enrolled in the local University, the University of Mobile.

    There he enthusiastically pursued intensive art training and his enthusiasm for his studies was quickly rewarded with an award for academic excellence.

    His portfolio was also chosen from a field of more than 1,600 submissions for the University’s most prestigious and nationally renowned, exhibition, “Art with a Southern Drawl”.

    Alan has established himself as a singular voice in the visual arts industry, exhibiting his extensive, and ever growing, artworks across much of the United States, Europe and beyond.

    His art collections run the gamut from abstract expressionism to haunting, graphic realism, each one a reflection of its creator’s unique vision.

    His most recent works, which he refers to as the Populus series, feature strikingly original images created from hundreds of tiny figures on a white ground.

    Alan’s body of work references numerous styles, from pop-surrealism to magic realism to neo-expressionist abstraction and representation.

    He combines his skills into elaborate textures, hues, and compositions, demonstrating a broad knowledge and appreciation of the human form as well as the colourful world that they occupy.

    Currently living and working in Atlanta, Georgia Alan continues to pursue his passion for art and his commitment to inspiring others with his unique vision.

    He has been featured in many of the world’s largest art publications, including The Coolist Magazine, Zilla On-Line Magazine, Five Thot Marketing, Furia Magazine and many more.

    If you’re not familiar with Craig Alan’s work, click here to peruse the fascinating canon of work we currently have in stock