Martin is an ex-firefighter and self-taught artist. After university he enjoyed a career of more than 30 years in the fire & rescue service. During this time painting was a perfect antidote to the stresses of his operational working life. In 2008 he committed himself fully to developing his art and has spent the last 16 years finding his own artistic voice. Mainly an artist in oils/acrylic Martin’s output can be diverse & wide-ranging. Apart from his current focus on still life it includes landscapes & urban scenes to more figurative/abstract work and commissioned portraiture, but whatever the subject matter his painterly style is characterized by a trademark vibrancy of colour and attention to fine detail, sometimes accompanied by a slightly surreal twist. He is a member of the Visual Artists’ Association and a founder member of the Derbyshire Artists’ Guild. His work has been selected for the prestigious ING Discerning Eye exhibition (2020) and twice for the Harley Open (2020 and 2024). In 2022 his work was recognized by the Royal Academy and selected, by Sir Grayson Perry, for their Summer Exhibition and in 2023 by the Ruth Borchard Organisation for their virtual Self Portrait Exhibition. Even though he is almost wholly self-trained Martin’s artwork is sought by private collectors around the world and he has secured coveted gallery space throughout the UK as well as here in his native Derbyshire where he works from his home studio. CV - recent events • Harley Open 2020, The Harley Gallery, Welbeck, Notts • ING Discerning Eye (virtual in 2020), 2020 • Emerging Artist Award 2021, Creates Gallery, Monmouth, 2021 • Buxton Spa Art Prize 2021 • Summer Exhibition, D31 Art Gallery, Doncaster, 2021 • Autumn Exhibition, D31 Art Gallery, Doncaster, 2021 • Winter Exhibition, D31 Art Gallery, Doncaster, 2021 • Contemporary Portraits, Fronteer Gallery, Sheffield, 2021 • Royal Cambrian Academy of Art Open Exhibition, Conwy, 2022 • Salon Contemporary Arts 2022, Museum of Making, Derby 2022 • Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2022, London, • Flux virtual Summer Exhibition 2022, 2022 • Fronteer Open, Exchange Studios, Sheffield, 2022 • Salon Contemporary Arts 2023, Museum of Making, Derby June 2023 • Ruth Borchard online self-portrait exhibition, June 2023 (highly commended) • “Portal” Fronteer Gallery, Sheffield, 20 Aug – 9 Sept 2023 • Salon Contemporary Arts Summer Exhibition 2024, Museum of Making, Derby June 2024 • Harley Open 2024, The Harley Gallery, Welbeck, Notts • Royal Cambrian Academy of Art Open Exhibition, Conwy, 2025 • Winter Exhibition 2024/5, AKA Fine Art, Cambridge 13th Dec – 1st March 2025 • The still & me, The Mill Gallery, Leeds 7th – 28th Feb 2025