All work : Mike Jackson [Biography]

Mike Jackson

Mike was born in Manchester in 1962. He left school with few qualifications but with a great love of art. His first job was in a Butcher's shop. This was followed by a wide and varied career path before eventually pursuing an artistic career.
Mike is completely self taught artist and his initial art career was developed around using various computer packages and an Apple Mac. He eventually made the move into the Commercial Art world and became a Graphic Designer. He stayed in the Commercial art world for about 12 years.
For a number of years concentrated on perfecting his watercolour painting skills before starting to paint using acrylics. As he had no formal training in art he had to learn by his own mistakes, but would have it no other way. Mike feels that this is the best way of developing technique. Inspiration for his paintings and art prints come from many sources. Greatly inspired by LS Lowry but many ideas come when out driving, and thinking about quirky little images to paint. From an initial idea he tends to draw hundreds of little sketches, and then develop two or three of the best which in turn become paintings and limited edition prints.
In 1999 Mike moved to Somerset which has been a fabulous area for his artistic inspiration. He loves the local beaches which bring extra inspiration to his paintings. Living near the coast gives Mike the opportunity to collect reference for new paintings and art prints. He loves to people watch, witnessing holiday romancers, beach bums, screaming kids high on candy floss and day trippers trying to enjoy their day whilst over-laden with bucket and spades, carrier bags full of butties, flasks of tea and sand sodden towels, queuing for the ‘charrabang’ to go home...deep joy.’
Mike is now known as a watercolour artist throughout many places in Somerset, Devon and Dorset and is kept very busy with lots of commissions etc.