Sanctaury Of Florence Painting

Andrew Roy Thackeray Sheffield Artist Welder Armchair Activist Yorkshire England. Born in the industrial city of Sheffield in the UK I first showed an interest in art at an early age,during the summer holidays still at junior school,bored,with little to do on a northern council estate I happened upon a TV program "Painting with Nancy",(Nancy Kominsky an oil knife painter).I was hooked instantly emptying my moneybox I bought a selection of oils and a board.I took the Seascape into school on my return,it was sent to the Mapin Art Gallery ( I was completely oblivious to the prestigious reputation of the gallery) who displayed it for some months. I then followed what I thought was an inevitable path into heavy engineering.Fast forward thirty plus years and I started painting again. Art is both Pugilism and Evolution I start off each painting with a theme something that has caught my attention it may be social, political or just something currently in the media,sometimes it may be blunt and obvious other times more subtle with underlying background stories (I have a wicked often childish sense of humor ). There is always a point in every painting which seems like a wall but eventually it evolves into somewhere close to where I want to be.The trick is knowing when to stop this I always find is the hardest. I have spent weeks on some of the Sheffield artwork and months on my latest which I displayed at the recent "Art in the Gardens" show 2012.I have been told on many occasions I should get out more maybe the're right. Since first showing my work five years ago I have had many commissions and exhibitions in local institutions and galleries. Here's a piece written about my work in a local publication in 2011 that I think is close to the mark. "Andrew Roy Thackeray, artist from Sheffield, fluctuates between a hybrid of symmetrical technical drawing and classical impressionism in a simplistic loose style. In each work he displays a keen desire to "˜tell a story' through small expressions of character relevant to each individual location, within landscapes, incorporating an illusion of detail. What appear to be pleasant visual interpretations often contain amusing but sometimes disturbing sensitive subjects that quite clearly offend him." My work is a blend of the finest acrylics and Indian inks on canvas, for details on commissions and prints contact me on arthackeray@hotmail.co.uk.