This year I am celebrating twenty-one years since I took my first tottering steps on the road to becoming a professional artist. Back in 1993 I chanced upon a programme on Channel 4, presented by Alwyn Crawshaw, who was already well known as a TV artist. As the weekly programmes rolled by I became more and more fascinated with what a bit of paint, paper and a couple of brushes could do. And so, I had to have a go!
I duly got some materials and set about trying to emulate the great man. But I soon found out that I couldn’t draw, couldn’t handle the paint, in short I couldn’t do anything with watercolour. Luckily, I found an adult education class, tutored by an encouraging and skilled teacher, Mike Tuddenham. Little by little, Mike gave me the skills I needed to make at least a reasonable stab at a painting. Several years of practice later, I found myself standing up at an easel with twenty students watching me. The wheel had turned full circle.
To celebrate my twenty-first anniversary, I am having a solo exhibition of my work, old and new. Entitled ‘Stephen Martyn at 21’ it will be held in the largest gallery at King’s Lynn Arts Centre, the Shakespeare Barn. A lovely venue with plenty of room on the walls. I’ve got over fifty framed works already and am working hard on new pieces, so I’ll need plenty of space.
You can see the poster for the exhibition here, and I’ll send out formal invitations soon. The dates are Saturday 7th – Saturday 21st June, and there will be a Private View on the evening of Friday 6th. I hope you can make it along to the show at some time, it would be good to have a few visitors after all the work!