Mike Adams

 

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Illustrations

 

french girlghost abbeybegonia girl

 

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Isobel Adams printmaker

 

 

 

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Toast "To Lost Causes"

whiskey series.

 No 1 Scotch  1746

The earliest reference to a distillery dates from 1690 (Acts of the Scottish Parliament). The Ferintosh  Distillery (the Black isle) was owned by Duncan Forbes of Culloden . This privilege was to reward his loyalty as a compensation for the burning of his distillery in the Jacobite attack in1689.From 1690 "Ferintosh" expanded to the time of Robert Burns with at least 4 distilleries on Culloden's estate). The privilege was withdrawn in the "Wash Act" of 1784.However by 1792 it had resumed with 2 licensed stills.

 

 

    Lost Causes 1746

 

 

1970's - 1990's     

 illustrations

indian captives

young adult  Mondadori covers 

thief

   A C Black's

covers

Hawk

70,s Western

covers

  military series
  Nancy Drew Covers
 

military studies

Autobiography

Background: .A mining village on Wat's Dyke, (Mealor ,N .Wales) from 2 generations of mining officials.  My grandfather was a former Royal Welch veteran of the Boer War and Gallipoli and captain of the rescue team at  Gresford's 1934 mining disaster .He survived to write  the folk  ballad  which followed. A hard act to follow.

,At Wrexham Art School, (now "promoted" to the  new Owen Glyndwr university ) my drawing teacher was the best draughtsman I have yet seen... Earnest Mitchell  .I found it hard to adjust- after leaving  this fondly remembered  socially close  environment . I had to move to Liverpool college of art to obtain a Dip. AD.

 Although an exciting and innovating time ( Beatles and cavern  etc ),I left the course after a year .People connected to the college at the time:  Mike Mcartney (brother of Paul) , painter / poet Adrian Hendry and poet Roger McGough. 

London during the optimistic  mid 60's ,like other art students  I found  a  lively experience . I had found myself in the right places  however after that memorable decade came the reality check.. .After  Goldsmith's College  I taught art  part time at  London Comprehensives for the next 5 years  while pursuing other unfulfilled interests.  . For a person of my ilk ,surprisingly I ended up  eventually with a  2.1  hons. BA in history of art but never did complete an MA in painting.

In the mid 70's I was introduced by Jim Burns (the Science fiction illustrator and former drinking companion) to the Young Artist's Agency . As a novice , I began to produce realistic figurative work for paperback covers and took on any work that came along-. others in the agency at the time : Richard clifton-Dey, Chris Foss , Gordon Crabbe ,Chris Collingwood  etc.    I had a healthy disregard for competing for work in  commercial agencies ,the type of work and the "art business" generally.  I  returned to this agency on 3 separate occasions thanks to Alison Eldred.: later spent a year at the other then top agency Artist Partners and worked my way through 8 others.  ,I have independently  worked outside  the system and An unwillingness  to sell myself had been detrimental to any prestigious marketing success I may have had.
In the pre-digital 80's and 90's I  worked for the main UK Publishers and produced most types of genre except science fiction and fantasy art -now inundated with those digital  pneumatic tits.  Although things military are of interest, I have questioned an involvement in past macho  action covers -naively romanticizing war etc.

The publisher  Mondadori (Milan/Verona) gave me a cover series of young adult novels after seeing  an Oxford  Univ.  Press children's cover . I was given a free hand throughout the 90's and had  illustration exhibitions  in Italy -possibly my most  useful and productive period .Italy and  southern France  became favourite places. In the past for my sins through agents I have produced advertising work for government agencies; corporate companies; banks ; hotel chains; computer manufacturers ; packaging for games  ;   British Lion posters; and even a plate to promote Manchester United.

 

A creative desire has recently made me return  to  my childhood haunts in the  quiet borderland backwater of the Alyn Valley , revealing  it's   forgotten rich contested history .

murdercivil war
 
 
 

Detective Mystery

 

 

Osprey military

 

 

Many originals shown  are  in the possession of collectors and dealers  from USA, Canada ,Germany, Italy and Spain -

 
 

Email. mic.art@zen.co.uk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

           

      

 

 

                       

 

 

 

         

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