Io Painting

Simon Canacott was born in Reigate in 1964. He is a self-taught artist, with no formal training, but has possessed a natural ability to draw and paint for as long as he and his family can remember. At college Simon studied and qualified as an engineer, which included a great deal of technical drawing and draughtsmanship. This attention to detail and understanding of perspective can be observed in his pen and ink drawings of architecture and street and town scenes. During the 1990s Simon represented England in the sport of Karate, competing regularly. Until 2007 he was a Karate Instructor (3rd Dan), running his own very successful, league winning club. Simon holds a Commercial Pilots Licence and is a qualified Flying Instructor. He is also a very keen motorcyclist. He has worked as a Motorcycle Riding Instructor and is a qualified Motorcycle Technician, but his main career and passion is as an artist. Back to painting: Simon works in many media, including watercolour, acrylic, oil, pastels and pen and ink, either on their own or as mixed media. His subject matter ranges from landscape to still life, seascape to life, architecture to wildlife, and portraits to motorsport. Simon’s artwork has been used for advertising, on magazine covers, in magazine features, used to illustrate several books, manuals, magazines, calendars, postcards, greetings cards, and wedding and business stationery. Also on pub signs and beer cans. And even on one side of an Armenian coin. As well as corporate art, adorning the walls of many receptions, boardrooms and offices. Simon continues to develop his skills as a painter, exhibiting in many prestigious galleries around the country (including solo exhibitions, demonstrations and teaching) with his work held in private collections in England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Jersey, France, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Armenia, Spain, Italy, Turkey, Pakistan, Philippines, Oman, South Africa, Canada, Australia, UAE, Mexico and the USA.