Born in Rochdale in 1969, Scott developed a passion for art as a young boy. During his late teens Scott spent his free time sketching punks and designing album covers. It was this body of work that earned him a place at Cheltenham University, where he gained his fine art degree.
In 2002, his much-loved studio burnt to the ground and he lost everything. Unable to continue both practically and emotionally, Scott threw himself into teaching, believing that his art career was now just part of his past.
In 2011, Scott moved his family to Verona and, ironically, moved into an apartment directly above an art shop. Feeling inspired to pick up his brushes once again, he began to draw the stunning architecture. With his passion rekindled, he returned to England and built a studio in his garden. He hasn’t stopped painting since.
Whilst living in Taiwan, I studied calligraphy and discovered that this beautiful form is valued as ‘high art’. The art of calligraphy is used to express the inner beauty of the soul and spirit. Chinese calligraphy focusses on two types of beauty: the obvious aesthetics and the hidden beauty: the soul and life of a figure. Often, Chinese painters will say they are “writing a painting” and this concept has influenced my work heavily over the years. I want my works to tell their own story, for the viewer to read their energy.
Each of my drawings is almost a manifestation of the frame of mind I am in at the time that I create it.
As Henry Ward Beecher said, “Every artist dips his brush in his own soul and paints his own nature into his pictures”.
Somewhere along my path, I became engrossed in the need to convey movement, to create the illusion of life. Knowing how to create something in the line, how to find the light and the life in a figure is considerably harder than the layering, rendering and re-rendering I do when I’m painting with oils.
I have to learn and understand the lines before I can make them work. It has taken years of practice, of feeling like I’m walking through a maze; making mistakes, going down the wrong road and learning whether to turn left or right. I’ve had to practice and practice to be able to create a piece in one go, it’s almost like doing it in one breath.
Each time I pick up my tools, I am running out onto a tightrope – I can’t stop. I have to keep going to get to the other side. There is no time to question myself or correct mistakes because I have to get the marks down with confidence. I don’t get a second chance. I can’t rework it; every mark has to flow out of me to give the figure movement. If I haven’t studied the lines, if I don’t fully understand them the drawing just won’t work.
Every single line on each of my drawings is inspired by a living object, the result being that every line has the energy of a living thing.
Sannib’s iconic portraiture celebrates a distinguished repertoire of the 20th century figures to produce show-stopping artworks. The creativity in which he represents familiar faces is both innovative and charming; the classical portrait is abstracted, and the Illusion of layers gives stunning depth to the work.
Sannib is a graduate in Graphic Design from the Syrian Design Center, Aleppo, Syria (1997) and before becoming a notable artist, he enjoyed a successful career in advertising, working in creative agencies in Kuwait, the UAE and London.
The experience of his background is clearing evident in his creative process; his artwork is sophisticated and his compositions both intricate and intriguing. Sannib has developed a unique mixed media style blending graphic elements, painting techniques and textures. He uses several materials and mediums, combined with highly distinctive colourways and avant-garde finishes.
Sannib has a great passion for colourful communication and finds inspiration in both vibrancy and infused lighting. He believes that his colour palette derives from nature’s own colour spectrum, with a focus on” the golden shades of the earth and the inspirational blue shades of the sea and sky”.
We are thrilled to have Sannib in the portfolio and believe he is an artist every art collector should take note of in 2022.
British artist Andy Dennett, otherwise known as Add Subtract, takes his inspiration from a career in music. With a background as a DJ working in clubs, at festivals, corporate events, as well as artist liaison and promoting his record label, Andy has witnessed the fast paced, high-energy lifestyle and the challenges individuals can endure through their musical success. With the highs come the lows, no matter the genre, scale or industry, the fame can chew up and spit out the best of the best, and truly push people to the precipice.
Executing a mixed media style with the use of graffiti, collage, paint and a principal portrait image, Add Subtract has created the “twisted icons” series – work featuring a hero shot of an iconic artist, paired with a collage journey of their lives.
Starting with a trigger moment in time during the icon’s life, a ‘hero’ image is carefully selected and often manipulated to emphasise the root of inspiration for the piece. Andy will immerse himself in the icons history and craft to absorb every detail, fusing together torn press clippings and album artwork with spray paint, acrylic, pen, stickers and even gold leaf.
Each piece of work is often fuelled by a troubled soul at war with inner demons. Addiction, money, power, fame, and the impact they have form part of the inspiration for each piece Andy creates. It’s not uncommon to see his work feature a yellow halo and this symbolises that despite everything endured there is a soul at the core of us all. Often there is a “hello my name is sticker” places carefully in the composition, which reminds us that we are all just people, just a face with a name.
Emily was born in 1996 and studied Graphic Design at Middlesex University, but always had a passion for art. Upon graduating Emily changed her career path and became dedicated to creating art and finding her unique artistic vision. Emily takes her inspiration from fashion, culture, pop and street art and then merges these with icons from popular culture which she grew up surrounded by.
Emily has always followed street art and this takes influence in her backgrounds. The backgrounds are all created using spray paint and hand cut stencils and then acrylic paints are used to hand paint her chosen icon over the top. Finally Emily’s love for fashion comes through many of the pieces as the her icons will usually be found holding shopping bags or be wearing luxury brands.
Having a mother as an artist, Chuck has been involved in art in some form since he was able to crawl..
With his experience in the digital art field this initially led into his fascination with the Baroque and Renaissance eras. Along with an interest in cutting edge fashion and design, this evolved into his skull designs.
With a further move on, using vibrant colours textures Chuck has developed a new collection mixing his love of fashion and design with the vibrancy and movement of large floral patterns. Combined with texture and gold leaf each piece in the collection portrays a stunning statement.
Chuck is in the early stages of his career as an artist, however with his incorporation of metallic foils and leaf, and traditional patterns, he is expected to go far in the art industry.
He says of his work My arts speech is its shock value, I like to mix the vibrancy of old era art with the appeal that contemporary art in all its forms holds.
Before embarking on a life as a painter, Jean had an illustrious career in the theatre, becoming a Windmill Girl at the famous Windmill Theatre in the West End of London in the 1950s, working with British treasures such as Harry Secombe and Bruce Forsyth. In the 1970s, she performed all over the USA at venues such as the Chicago Hilton Hotel and the Carlton Hotel, New York, and became a regular on the Joey Adams chat show, Coast to Coast.
In the 1980s, Jean returned to England and was often seen on British TV, featuring on shows such as Hi-de-hi, EastEnders and appearing in numerous TV ads. Simultaneously, Jean was working on the British cabaret circuit as an established performer and life was very full on! Upon retiring from show business in the early 1990s, Jean began painting as a hobby but quickly realised she had a talent for creating stunning abstract art. She decided to take her art seriously and consequently obtained an honours degree in Fine Art in 2002.
Jean’s second career has been equally as successful and boasts a strong following for her visionary explosions of colour on canvas. She is truly an international artist, with her originals displayed all over Europe and as far away as North America, Mexico, Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand.
At Hart Galleries we have a passion for the very best in contemporary art; from originals by international artists of distinction, to highly collectable and affordable signed limited editions. We also have a range of sculpture and ceramics to suit all tastes.
Our knowledgeable and experienced staff are always on hand for help and advice but if you just want to browse you are always welcome at our newly designed modern gallery space on the borders of Mill Hill and Edgware in North West London.