Exploring Creativity Through Art

Beyond the brush and pencil strokes.

My first oil painting, which I knew when I’d finished, actually looked realistic and was at last worthy of being framed and hung on a wall! I was 14 at the time. 
   Some of my works have been donated to charity. One of my charity works was even auctioned! Some of my religious works of art I’ve donated to churches. 
Throughout my life I have always had an inquisitive mind. 
 My father was a keen bicycle tourist and he encouraged me like wise. This led me to discover how to completely strip a bicycle down to its bare frame, bearings and all!. Then rebuild it from scratch! It didn’t stop there I then taught myself how to build the bicycle wheels from scratch! This involves ‘dishing’ the wheel and choosing the correct length of wheel spokes, depending on whether they are 3x or 4x ‘laced’.
I also built radial front wheels for my friends who road raced their bikes. In my later teens, I saved up my paper round money and had a cycle frame custom built to my design. Then naturally saved up more money to by exactly the various components to build it as I envisioned. This of course, included building the wheels myself.
  I’ve always appreciated and admired beautiful things. As my adult life advanced in years I largely self taught myself to work with wood. Everything from custom hand built kitchens that I designed myself, to one off custom designed wardrobes with hand carved panels, to tables etc. which then led me to learn how to use a wood lathe in order to hand turn wooden legs. My inquisitive mind led me to teach myself how to turn everything from candlesticks, to fruit bowls, and wooden drinking goblets. 
  Music is another one of the arts I love. As I had a good knowledge of wood, how it could be worked, then manipulated to create almost anything, I spent a period of time designing my own version of an acoustic guitar. I built it all from scratch and shaped, steam bent, and sanded every bit by hand. I even inlayed the fretboard with mother of pearl and hand shaped the bone nut and saddle. It was totally unique in its shape and design, and it played and sounded awesome, even though I say it myself! 
  Alas, one can only do so many things at a time. I no longer ride a  bicycle or build them. I no longer design and make furniture, or design and make guitars. In later years I have concentrated purely on my painting and drawing that I love so much!,