Mike Skinner
'Chalford Vale'
Born on one of the largest East London council estates in the UK, Mike spent his formative years, like most of his peers, hanging around street corners in the general dereliction of East London of the early seventies. Although not a very inspiring start, Mike had grandparents on the Essex/Suffolk borders so spent school holidays with them in an idyllic and almost arcadian landscape. This was a direct contrast to the grim and decay of much of the UK in that period. His grandfather was an amateur artist and had the biggest influence on his future life. Learning to see thing in a different way, Mike began to draw and paint. After attending Bedford Park School, and leaving with virtually no qualifications save Art, Mike was accepted on his portfolio to Barking Art School where he did an art foundation and a course in 3-Dimensional Art and Design.
Fast forward and Mike is working as freelance artist and designer. He lives and works central London and rural Gloucestershire. For the last 15 years he has been working as an artist to commissions mainly for designers’ architects and corporations. For the most part his work has been site specific. Mike's artworks are driven by a client’s brief with his main interest being modern British landscapes/cityscapes. The work is abstract or figurative and he does not restrict his use of materials and methods used in the image making process. His work is made to convey the energy and power witnessed within an ever-changing landscape or cityscape. He hopes is that is evident in his work produced.