Colin Chapman

I graduated from Art School in 1990 with a BA(Hons) in Fine Art painting at Staffordshire University under the tutelage of Terry Shave.

I then moved to Derry in Northern Ireland and started working for the North West Artist’s Association as an administrator to work with local artists and children’s workshops in conjunction with the Orchard Gallery. My role was Arts Council funded and also gave me a free studio space to carry on painting. After a couple of years, I’d built up a body of work to have a one person show at the City Library.

It was great experience though sadly the funding was removed and employment became tough so I returned to Peterborough to start work in an art shop. Work and family commitments consumed my time and aside from the odd commission and some mural painting, I hadn’t found a way back to painting until a few years ago. I’m now fully focused on painting as much as possible and have been encouraged by how much work I’ve sold in the last 18 months.

I use paint and colour in a bold expressive way. I work mainly in acrylics and integrate spray paint and stencils on occasion to create various textures and surfaces in the paint.

Music is a major influence in my work .The music I’m listening to totally affects the marks and gestures I make whilst painting, its completely infused in my work. I enjoy the dynamism and improvisation of musicians and currently find them my favourite subject matter. For the last ten years I’ve been following a lot of contemporary British and American Jazz artists such as Nubya Garcia, Ezra Collective, Kamasi Washington and Robert Glasper at live gigs. When I witnessed the colour and dynamism from these performances, I knew this would provide my subject matter for years to come.

If I am painting a particular musician, I listen to their work for every minute of the painting process and where possible will refer to YouTube videos of live performances which helps project an energy into the marks on the canvas. I also use the live music videos to create quick sketches in colour.

Colour, energy, musicality, rhythm and creating visual joy in paint is my goal.

“The subject of all painting is special colour” Patrick Heron

My painting influences are diverse but all very relevant to how I paint: Henri Matisse, Patrick Heron, Ivon Hitchens, Albert Irvin, Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Jean Michel Basquiat, Eric Fischl, Sean Scully and Lucien Freud