Mike Bell

Born 1942rnNewcastle upon TynernLived and worked in Northumberland until retiring from lecturing 10years ago to concentrate on painting and relocting from Northumberland Coast to wilds of Northumberlands Border region on

Teaching and lecturing in Art for 30years give little time for ones own work. However from early student days always had deep interest in contrast in nature of order & chaos, allied with a strong interest in structure ,texture and effect of light on natural surfaces. Nothumberland has all these things in abundance along with a strong tactile feel to the environment. I want my work to feel & look as natural as possible so use many materials embedded in the paint surface ie plaster,coaldust ,coloured sands driftwood & foils.Iaspire to the search for the "organically" natural configurations of things. Like searching for perfect wave or catching the perfect light .striving for a sensation of harmony

DipAD hons Univ of Sunderland 1966
Queens Award Travelling Scholarship [Italy ]1965
Teaching HOD Art& Design 1970-86
Team Leader Lecturer FE College Sunderland !986-96
selected Exhibitions
Young contemporaries Manchester 1965
Pernod Exhibiton Laing Art Gallery Newcastle 1972
Small Works Univ of Northumbria
Globe Gallery N ,Shields
Hatton gallery Univ of Newcastle 2002/3/4
The Biscuit Factory Newcastle 2003/4/5/6/7
Walker Gallery Harrogate 2004/5
Minsterfineart York 2005
John Green Fine art Glasgow 2004/5
Glasgow Art Fair 2005
scotlandart.com Edinburgh 2005/6
The Coningsby Gallery London 2005
The Brownston Gallery Devon 2006/7
Art-Domain Gallery Hamburg Germany April 2006
Marziart Gallery Internationale Hamburg Germany Aug 2006
Artco Leeds 2006"
Prizes
Queens Prize 1965 [Italy]
July 2006
"2nd Prize JUST PAINT International online painting Competition Artrom Gallery Rome Italy
Private Client Commissions 2004/5/6
2006 Large commission for Indigoarts& Witherspoons Hotel Chain Darlington
2006Dec Art Basel Miami rep on NYArts Mag Stand
2006 Dec Palm Art Award by Art Domain Gallery Leipzig Germany ,