Bob Holmes

I began my journey as a young, fresh-faced printmaker and painter by studying traditional classical techniques during my time at art college. These methods were taught to me by established working artists. After graduation, I continued along a similar path, teaching these tried-and-tested methods to students in a very similar environment. It seemed like a natural progression, a familiar, well-trodden career choice.

Several years later, through some convoluted circumstances, I found myself on a very different trajectory, moving into full-time digital design. It paid the bills and was enjoyable, but never quite satisfied my deeper creative impulse. I always continued to draw, paint, and make prints in my spare time, but deliberately kept my day job and my ‘hobby’ separate.

Over the past few years, I’ve been attempting to revive my art practice. This has been my primary focus. I’ve often found it pretty challenging, especially in today’s crowded stage, where artists are expected to balance studio work with marketing and self-promotion. It was, though, a bit of a revelation to me when I realised that the digital skills that I had acquired might now integrate nicely with the traditional methods I already knew. Instead of trying to sep...

BA Hons Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art
MA Hons Cheslea School of Art