Mike’s opportunity came when the Carterton
Lions displayed his work in one of their
exhibitions, something he regards as a big step
in his life. It was a brave move on his part when
you consider the nature of the man: “In a way
I’m quite shy about it because I don’t want
to be ridiculed; I’m my biggest critic, I know
what’s gone wrong in a painting but don’t want
to hear other people telling me!” All was well
with the exhibition, he put 4 paintings on show
and remembers looking at them and thinking:
“Yeah, I can live with these!” He is able to assess
his work quite honestly (his mother didn’t do
this – “she liked everything I did no matter
how bad it was!”), “I’ve got different paintings
on the wall that I’ve done, and I know why
I’ve got them there. In one of them I think the
actual landscape is not very good but the sky is
superb”.
So what’s going on at the moment? Mike’s
annual holiday to Okehampton is approaching,
where he can paint Dartmoor in peace and
quiet. Sadly his mother is no longer alive, “it
will be strange to not have her loving eye over
my next painting”. What about the style of any
upcoming art? And where can we next see it? “I
still stay in the safe zone.” He says. “Landscapes
dominate my studies although I do enjoy
painting flowers from nature or pictures. I
do try to paint a picture for every Town Hall
charity raffle/auction – it’s usually the last to go
but at least the frame is worth something!”
Based on his work, this former geography
teacher could describe himself as an artist, but
perhaps for him to do so would be to damage
the idea of a fun hobby – “I never thought of
myself as an artist. I just enjoy drawing and
painting.”
Mike
Steward
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