Meet Phil, originally from Leicester, but we’ve claimed him as a proper local now! After moving up here as a teen, he settled in Leadgate and never looked back.
Always the arty type, Phil started out in an architect’s office (back when freehand drawing ruled), then swapped careers—working at the QE Hospital and later with autistic children in Jesmond.
Covid Lockdown brought early retirement and a return to his first love: painting. Using reclaimed wooden boards as his canvas, Phil’s work now pops up at markets, fairs, and galleries like The White Room (Stanley) and The Heart (Consett).
With commissions rolling in and a style that draws on everything from Renaissance icons to Salvador Dalí, Phil keeps evolving—most recently by repurposing his huge art library as literal backdrops for his pieces.
He’s just had a three-person show at The Heart and will be back there later this year for another mini-exhibition.