Philip Copestake South Yorkshire, United Kingdom

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I am an artist and printmaker based in South Yorkshire with a studio just north of Sheffield. I particularly love drawing and printmaking as disciplines – with a diverse range of subjects, including figurative, abstract, graphic, landscape, botanical.

I have always been passionate about my art and have drawn and painted on a regular basis throughout my life. Although I have had no formal art education I began seriously to take to drawing and painting in my thirties; it’s never too late! Perhaps somewhat obsessively self-taught, over the years I have had input and insight from a wide range of inspiring artists and teachers through attending courses and classes at or with: The Art Academy (London), Central Saint Martins, CityLit, Edinburgh Printmakers, Heatherley’s School of Fine Art, Leicester Print Workshop, London Drawing, SCOLA, The Slade, St Ives School of Painting, and Wimbledon College of Art. I draw regularly with groups such as Anomaly Life Drawing in Sheffield, and for many years previously with London Drawing and Wimbledon Life Drawing (WiLD).

Born in 1961, I was brought up in the south east of England until 1980 when I left to study at the University of Edinburgh. I spent five years in Edinburgh, before returning south. My time in Edinburgh ignited my passion for the visual arts, particularly of the twentieth century to modern day. I am constantly fascinated by the creative process, and in particular the notion of “mark making” – how visual marks, both intuitively and precisely placed, and those that arise serendipitously, are interpreted and can frequently initiate a deeply emotional response. Exploration of the creative process continues to inspire, elate and challenge in equal measure. There never seems to be enough hours in the day, or days in the year, to truly satisfy and learn.

Influences are possibly too numerous to mention; any visual art – be it drawing, painting, printmaking, graphic design, photography – seems to have the potential to offer up something that can teach and inspire. I also have a background in science, obtaining a degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Edinburgh in 1984, followed by a post-graduate Master’s degree in Information Science from The City University, London, in 1986. For many years I worked in a scientific consultancy. I am also a trained yoga teacher, registered many years by the Association for Yoga Studies (aYs) [www.ays.org.uk]. For me the creative process can be a particularly meditative practice.