To whet your appetites ready for Michael Ashcroft's upcoming solo exhibition of oil sketches - 'Manchester Life' - at Contemporary Six, we caught up with the man himself to chat about his life, artistic practice and the inspiration behind this new body of work. This collections of oil sketches are a fantastic window into how Michael plans the look and feel of larger works and experiments with colour and form. The immediacy of these sketches is what makes them so appealing.
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Lovely to catch up with you, could you please introduce yourself and tell everybody a little about how you started out as an artist?
Hi, my Name is Michael John Ashcroft and I am a member of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters and the Manchester Academy of Fine Arts. I have been painting many years now, more than I care to remember but it has been a heck of a journey.
I started out drawing cartoons and painting with acrylics many years ago when I was a teenager. It was only when I had a major operation to remove a brain tumour that I decided to take it more seriously. I never looked back.
Michael at work 'plein air' on 'The Old Post Office, Croston' and the finished painting.
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You are from Croston, a lovely village not far from Southport, how did Manchester become one of your inspirations for painting?
Croston is a gorgeous little village and I was so lucky to have been brought up there, it was quiet and quaint which is why I gravitated towards the city I think. I would love visiting any of the urban landscapes but I had a special connection with Manchester. It was one of the only places that had the surgeons to remove my very rare tumour and I spent a lot of time there. If I was in between appointments I would visit the Whitworth or Manchester Art Gallery and I spent many hours sitting, looking and sketching in these wonderful buildings, it became my sanctuary after a visit to the hospital.
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You regularly depict very popular pub scenes, can you tell me some of your favourite drinking establishments in Manchester?
Ah yes the Pub! Where do I start….I like so many but some of my favourites are The Gaslamp on Bridge Street, Mr Thomas’s Chop House, The Marble Arch, The City Arms, The Britons Protection…I could go on.
'Last Round, Marble Arch, Manchester'
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Fans of your work love the clarity of vision, why do you feel it is important to paint with a sense of realism?
I think its just in my nature to paint that way. I have tried to get a balance between Realism and Impressionism and I think I’ve never been as close to that as I have with these oil sketches.
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Many clients return to your work time and time again, how do you keep your ideas fresh and highly collectable?
I never switch off basically. I am always looking for new ideas and inspiration, I've found it helpful to do a series of works such as the pub series or the 'Manchester from Afar' series, that can keep you focused. I have also found it important to stay true to myself and paint what I am interested in and what I like, I really believe it comes across in the work and people can tell if you’re being fake.
Some beautiful studio shots of Michael's materials courtesy of jayb_captures
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Do you find painting therapeutic?
Yes I do, that’s all it was at the beginning, therapy to help me get over my operation and I was fortunate it turned into my job. If I am ever feeling overwhelmed by the world in general, I just go back to the start which was me, a paint brush, a board and my music on.
Michael (left) enjoying a pint with fellow Northern Boy Rob Pointon (middle) and Ian Layton (right)
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As a member of the Northern Boys, what is camaraderie like between all of you and do you regularly meet to critique/discuss each other's work?
Its been amazing being part of a group such as the Northern Boys. As an artist most of the time you are alone and so to get together and chat about your work, their work or art in general is wonderful. I remember the day we sat in a café on York Station discussing a name for a little band of brothers, it still makes me smile.
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Finally, what can people expect from the upcoming show at Contemporary Six - ‘Manchester Life’?
I am hoping people see the beauty in these small oil sketches like I do. I call them little gems. I have shown the odd piece now and then alongside a larger painting but I’ve never had a show dedicated to just my oil sketches so I would like to thank Contemporary Six Gallery for putting on this Exhibition.
'Light on Princess Street, Manchester'
Many thanks to Michael for taking the time to talk to us. 'Manchester Life' will take place in the downstairs Gallery space at Contemporary Six, 37 Princess Street, Manchester, M2 4FN between Friday 24th February and Wednesday 15th March.
We are holding a preview evening taking place between 6-8pm on Thursday 24th. To RSVP to the preview event only*, please email info@contemporarysix.co.uk.
* Please note - Michael will be offering one of his original paintings (worth £950!) to one lucky attendee of the preview on Friday 24th February. Just turn up between 6-8pm and collect a raffle ticket to be in with a chance of winning. No purchase necessary.
