John trained as an Art teacher at Doncaster and in Drama at Derby University. After teaching Art and Drama for several years John became founder member and artistic director of Compact Theatre and has acted professionally (as Harry Connolly) since 1992. John divides his time between painting, acting and writing (with a bias towards painting since 2003). John has written three plays, which have been toured nationally, and he also sings with the oldest boyband in the world ‘Old Spice'. who were recently re named, 'The Shaydes'

See more of Johns work at www.connollyart.com

Finian Lynch, born 1971, became interested in cartoon animation as a teenager and produced short super 8 animations, going on to study fine art and film at Hull.
He spent 11 years in Brighton and Hastings, combining his painting with work on many large scale outdoor arts events. Including the 'White Hawk' chalk drawing (a modern piece in the tradition of the Uffington White Horse) before going on to open the UK's first digital cinema, film festival and production house.
In 2004 he began travelling across Europe to concentrate on painting, returning to Spain in 2005 to capture the colour and vibrant light of the South. Fin is now moving to Spain and will split his time between there and the UK.
The paintings are in oils on canvas.

Check fins other peices out at www.flynchpaintings.co.uk 

Miles is 41 years old and has been working as a sculptor for the past 13 years, professionally since 1995. He is self-taught and has developed his skills through a series of enthusiasms for photography, ceramics and watercolour painting. Ceramics were his first love and much of his later work has evolved from the ‘organic’ sculptural style of his pottery. When he later discovered steel and arc welding he immediately felt excited by it, and it remains his favoured medium.
He had a rather academic education where arts based subjects were very much a second priority, but with hindsight he saw this as quite a positive thing. Having had no training he came to start making things as a vocation - it was something he discovered in himself. As a result he feels he has kept a fresh and original approach that comes from the heart. He has often used materials and tools in ways that a trained person probably wouldn't, and has been free to explore materials and techniques without any preconceived ideas about what he 'should' or 'shouldn't' do. Also, his academic schooling and the ideas it generated have had a strong influence on his work. He studied Geology and Geography to A level and his work contains many references to ideas of Process, and to landscape features, maps, and fossils.

Since leaving Loughborough College of Art & Design in 1990, Duncan Thurlby has been working full time as a metal sculptor.
Initially concentrating on commission work for music and entertainment venues, including Chelsea Football Club, Camden Palace and Chicago Rock Café to name but a few, Duncan Thurlby has more recently focussed his attention on gallery pieces and commissions for private clients as far afield as America and Australia.

His work ranges from his ever popular hounds through pelicans, giant conker shells, toucans and alligators to large scale architectural water sculptures. His inspiration is plucked from the natural world, never too literally or seriously, a sense of character and humour being essential in all of his creations. Using a range of hand working techniques the final pieces emerge as a result of this rather 'unnatural evolution'.

www.duncanthurlbysculpture.co.uk

Not even the sky is the limit for artist Suzanne Cannon, who has forged a burgeoning reputation as a new and refreshingly original contemporary landscape artist. Her evocative landscapes, often typified by dramatic sweeping skies, are attracting the attention of those who prefer an 'edge' to their art. She has an uncanny ability to capture memories of those times of the day when nature creates a wealth of magical colour and is able to transfer them onto canvas in her unique way.

Suzanne, who works predominantly in oils, has been the subject of a number of solo exhibitions and is currently developing a successful corporate business, providing artwork for nationally recognised companies.

Carol entered employment as a trainee fashion designer in the late ‘60s. She later developed an interest in printing processes and developed her skills in the art department of a ceramics company. More recently she has successfully studied art at Derby University.

Carol found inspiration for her current work while investigating Warhol’s fascination with early Byzantine religious icons painted on wooden panels.

Her response, contemporary iconic figures painted on distressed doors and panels, has aroused immediate and widespread attention wherever she has exhibited.

The ageing timber of the doors, the effects of time and neglect upon the original painted layers and Carol’s application of acrylic paint result in poignant and timeless artefacts.

www.caroldolton.com

Born in Cumbria in 1964 and brought up on a farm Halliday turned to painting at twenty one.

He did a Foundation in Fine Art at Carlisle and a BA Honours degree in Fine Art at Exeter graduating in 1992 Halliday has made a living from his Art since then. His work has been through many changes and evolution and today he concentrates on Landscape painting. Working in the studio has shifted towards more outdoor work. Firmly established in galleries in London and across the UK, Colin's work is in many private collections across the world.

Application of paint in an expressive and painterly way is crucial to him, wanting to keep something instinctual and from the gut is what drives his search for beauty in paint. Ruskin, Turner and the Romantics have often been used as comparisons, and as ever it is the individuals own language and invention that best describes the Nature of Nature.

All Kaths peices are acrylic on canvas and the technique she uses is to apply the paints straight out of the tubes onto the canvas then work them together using her hands reapplying on top of dry areas and scraping into the wet paint - she rarely uses brushes except for picking out details.

Kath enjoys the spontaneity of working like this and thinks it adds to the movement that she trys to depict, the large canvas's are very bold. She also paints smaller ones and murals and is a self employed signwriter.