When you spend your life dedicating your energies on supporting others (in Tim’s case in education),  early retirement offers the opportunity to indulge yourself in what you never had time for. Evening classes in drawing and painting to learn the basics, led to courses with experienced artists.

The excitement of trying out different media and techniques continues to motivate, but there was also a need to share the progress with other painters. Both a local painting group in Haxby and the York Art Society’s activities meant that supportive critique was directing him to a more considered approach towards a final work.

Submissions to the Society’s exhibitions focussed the mind on how others might see your work, and when a painting received a ‘commendation’ , or was sold, it certainly boosts confidence!

Tim’s work has also been selected for Loughborough’s Sock Gallery Open Exhibitions, the East Coast Open Exhibition in Scarborough and the ArtWaves Festival in Bridlington. Judging from reactions, people seem to enjoy the quirky perspective and the semi-abstract nature of many paintings: sometimes he portrays a domestic moment or emotion and at other times shows why a country scene made such an impact on him.