Roger Knapik

Biography

Born Edinburgh, educated Chester Grammar, now living near Bath. With no interest nor art experience of any kind until art school, I to enrolled on the flimsiest of evidence in the form of a couple of sketches. I am eternally grateful to the late head, Jack Shore, for seeing some artistic merit in so little evidence. After graduation from a specialist arts college in London, my career has been teaching 14/16 year olds there and Bristol with educational needs and some behavioural issues, but strangely, not while I was in charge..and secondary art in Birmingham. Hated it and the art! Being influenced by no one has been a conscious decision. The individual mark, honestly made and claiming nothing, is preferable to imitation and while I admire many painters expressing individual philosophies through a visual medium, to be associated with any of them would go against all that I try to achieve. Draughtsmanship through observation is at the core of all my work..problem solving simply by looking, assessing and recording...making marks with graphite and paint. I have only ever painted in oils and still struggle with their odd characteristics. Large canvases are home made to my particular needs. Paintings of interiors are usually large and to sight- size which means that they appear big enough to 'step into' and allow a viewer to be a part of the scene. Lastly, I am by definition, an amateur painter, never having sold nor exhibited and no inclination to do either. I paint from life. It's the only way I know and it's partly why large canvases take so long to complete. Finally, I don't believe that creating images is about ego. It's the image that's important, not the individual. Non arty information...lapse classical guitarist, lutenist and amateur luthier, married to My Muse Basia, ex-deputy head, authority on severe autism, and without whom, I would be utterly lost. Three sons...where did I go wrong?... and a gorgeous cockapoo called Molly.