Artist's Profiles

Rolf Harris CBE, AM

Born in Perth, Western Australia, Rolf has always loved art; Even before he went to Primary School, whenever anyone asked him 'What are you going to be when you grow up?' his immediate response was 'An artist!'.

At the age of twenty-two, Rolf moved to London on what was supposed to be a year's study leave, financing himself through four exhibitions of his work held in Australia. He immediately enrolled at the City & Guilds Art School in London, intending to follow in his grandfather's footsteps and become a portrait painter. After a chance meeting with the Australian impressionist painter 'Bill' Hayward Veal, however, he began attending an art course run by Veal and soon became his protégé.

In the mid 1950's, for two years running, some of Rolf's paintings were featured in the Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy. While painting continued to be a private passion of his, it was for his television and stage performances that Rolf became a household name. In recent years Rolf has devoted more time to painting and has had a number of one-man shows, including the Rolf on Art exhibition at the National Gallery.

Rolf's BBC television series Rolf on Art achieved the highest television ratings ever for a UK arts programme. Rolf hosted television's biggest ever Arts event with a live BBC special titled Rolf on Art: The Big Event, in which he joined the public in recreating a large-scale version of Constable's 'Haywain' in Trafalgar Square. The massive event was such a huge success that the BBC staged two further Rolf on Art: The Big Event specials in Edinburgh and London.

In 2010, Rolf celebrated his 80th birthday with the publication of his Bioibgraphy 'A Life in Art' , a major touring exhibition of his work and the release of some exciting new pictures.

Biography and images courtesy and copyright of the publisher/Rolf Harris


Beryl Cook OBE

The late Beryl Cook (1926-2008) first came to national prominence in 1976 when the Sunday Times published an article about her and her paintings.Within days we were meeting her in Plymouth and subsequently published her first signed limited edition The Four Hungry Cats in 1977. The
Art Class followed in 1979 and we have been publishing her work ever since, releasing at least one new title each year.

Artists whose work truly stands the test of time and the vagaries of fashion and trends are few and far between. The fact that Beryl's pictures have been collected and enjoyed throughout the country for over a quarter of a century is a testament to the true integrity of her painting as uniquely, Beryl painted solely for herself and no-one else; if a subject or incident amused her or captured her imagination she would paint it and, having done so, she would enjoy that picture as much as anyone.

For this reason paintings often remained in her possession for many months after they were finished. She painted what she wanted, not what anyone else wanted, and as her publishers we would not dream of trying to influence her painting in the way that many publishers do with their artists.

She was aware of her success but she was also aware of the negative aspects of over-exposure and this is why she had always been careful about the number of her pictures that were published as limited editions.

The key to her work was of course her sense of humour. She was never cruel or hurtful and loved larger-than-life characters and the more outrageous someone looks or behaves, the more she wanted to paint them. You will not find any of the 'art establishment' attempting to explain or even liking her work. Indeed it was a source of some pride to her that they didn't and if they did she would probably have had a fit!

For Beryl her pictures had a life of their own - ' I don't know how my pictures happen. They just do. They exist, but for the life of me I can't explain them' . That they do and that they bring such delight to so many is enough explanation for us all.

Biography and images courtesy and copyright of the publisher - Alexander Gallery /Beryl Cook,


Mackenzie Thorpe - Game of Life

Mackenzie explains... With this portfolio set I have tried to express the reality of playing football for a boy growing up in the 1960's. For many of us during that period, football filled our lives with hope and promise. Through the game of football we would feel excitement and exhilaration racing through our bodies as we charged after the ball for hours and hours on end. Football infiltrated everything; it consumed whole days of our lives. Where I grew up, matches were played on the streets, in the shadows of industry; and looking back they seemed as intense, crucial and filled with passion as great as any I have witnessed since.

As I remember it the whole country was football crazy, it was all I seemed to see and hear on radio and television. Results were splashed across the newspapers, the ups and downs of footballers’ lives on everyone’s lips. On the streets it was no different. Everyone would be talking about the game, the events and dramas of that day’s play; who had gone home crying; whose window had been broken. The whole street would know who had fouled who, who scored the goals, who had new boots, who were the winners and who were the losers. And so it would continue, as a new day dawned, a new match would begin, goals to be scored and dreams to be realised – everyone ready for another game on the street.

This boy never loses his drive or his focus. He plays and plays even when alone or going to the shops, to and from school, any opportunity, any chance. His life is football, his joy is football and his pain is football. He never stops chasing his dream..........one day he will be ‘The Captain’ and bring home the cup.

This portfolio follows a child with a dream. All our children have dreams, some are realized, some are not. He is isolated from society because he is dedicated to realising this dream. No one wants to play with him, he is almost obsessive about the game. I identify with this boy - as a child, no one wanted to draw with me! I was always told to forget about being an artist. I would have to get a real job.

Text and images courtesy of and copyright - Washington Green and Mackenzie Thorpe


David Shepherd CBE, FRSA


Best known for his wildlife images, David's distinctive style captures animals in their natural environments; many of which are endangered species. David never forgets his 'enormous debt' to such animals and as an active conservationist, has helped preserve so many critically endangered species and their environment.

One of his first major fund-raising successes was with the painting 'Tiger Fire' which raised £127,000 for Project Tiger in 1973. In 1984 The David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation ( www.davidshepherd.org ) was set up to focus David's conservation efforts and to increase public awareness and to generate funds for wildlife conservation both in this country and abroad. To date, through David's efforts and the generosity of the Foundation's supporters, over £2.5 million has been raised.

David is also known for his landscape paintings and portraits. These include a portrayal of 'Christ' for an Army Church; the former president of Zambia, Dr. Kenneth Kaunda; HM The Queen Mother, and the Sheikh Zahed of Abu Dhabi.

His many military paintings are commissioned from the Royal Navy, the Parachute Regiment, the Green Howards, the Army Air Corps, the Special Air Service and many others. David also has a passion for steam locomotives and in 1967 he purchased two 120 ton main line steam locomotives, 'Black Prince' and 'The Green Knight' and founded the East Somerset Railway at Cranmore, Somerset, a registered charity and fully operational steam railway.

Text and images courtesy of and copyright - Publishers and David Shepherd OBE.


Alexander Millar

'Gadgies and Gals choreographed in a street ballet'.

'I was born in 1960 into the small mining community of Springside a few miles outside of Kilmarnock on the west coast of Scotland. My formative years were spent in the company of old men dressed in dark suits smoking Woodbines partnered with large missile shaped women decked out in headscarves and pinnies'

'I escaped school in 1976 and eventually set myself up in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Newcastle had and still has its fair share of characters known as 'Gadgies' which fed me much inspiration later on in life when I discovered my destiny as an artist. In 1988 I finally settled down to become a professional artist.'

'I am completely self-taught and after many years of developing my own style in art I turned to images remembered from my childhood and used the local Tyneside 'Gadgies' as models in my paintings. I love the movement of the street drunk; however he remains a difficult subject to paint - never staying still for any length of time.'

'The gossiping old ladies standing on street corners, the tired old guy wandering home after a long hard day are all appealing and interesting to me. I seem them all as different choreographed parts in a sort of street ballet.'

'The past few years have been especially exciting as my work has taken on a life of its own. Sales have gone through the roof and everyone seems to be taking notice of the solitary figures I create. On many occasions I've had women moved to tears absorbed by a painting that evokes memories of their father or grandfather.'

Abbreviated biography and images courtesy and copyright of Washington Green Ltd and Alexander Millar.