When Christopher West took redundancy from a renowned local car manufacturer four years ago, having worked for the firm for over 30 years, he took the bold step to swap cars for canvas.
And now Christopher’s artwork is on display to the public and available to purchase at Steeles Law’s Whiting Road offices.
At the stroke of a brush Christopher transferred his technical skills and became a full-time artist. He always had a passion for art but, like many, chose to keep it a hobby. It was when the opportunity arose to take redundancy Christopher decided to turn his dream into reality.
Predominately a watercolour painter, Christopher paints scenes from across the county from the idyllic North Norfolk coast to the picturesque Broads. His long career as an engineer has taught him the skills needed for accuracy, scale and dimensions. Born in North Norfolk, Christopher paints from his studio in Brundall and is an active member of the local art community – a far cry from Project Manager.
“My enthusiasm for art is driven through capturing the beauty of Norfolk and its wildlife,” comments Christopher West. “Norfolk has so much to offer and is such a spectacular county. With a historical city, fantastic coastline and a wonderful national park, sometimes I don’t know where to start painting first.”
His paintings are brought to life by his loose and free-flowing style, which allows him to focus on texture and light. Christopher’s art has been seen in various galleries throughout Norfolk whilst his unique commissions hang in hotels, public buildings and homes. His picture of ‘Erpingham Gate’ was chosen to represent Norfolk on the BBC’s Made in England website.
Christopher’s work will be on display at Steeles Law until the end of May. He is the second artist to display their work at the firm’s offices, following renowned oil, linocut and watercolour painter Ivy Smith. Sarah Monk Marketing Manager at Steeles Law comments, “Supporting the local community is important to us, especially in the Arts. We feel by offering exhibition space to artists like Christopher, they are able to display their art in a new environment, and expose it to a new audience.”
For further details on viewing times or on displaying artwork please contact Sarah Monk, Marketing Manager at Steeles Law on 01603 598000 or email smonk@steeleslaw.co.uk