I was born in Manchester in 1955 . My creative abilities developed at a young age , encouraged by my artistic parents and family. I won two national creative writing competitions at the age of ten, and first prize for painting in an art competition sponsored by Lewis’s department store at the age of fourteen. I loved singing, and was a boy soprano, appearing as soloist at St Anne’s church Manchester. I was commended by the late Sir John Barbirolli.
On leaving school I initially worked as a graphic artist and illustrator. During this period I was commissioned to design the Piccadilly Radio fun bus and several record labels for an independent record company.
In 1978 I did a foundation course in art at Rochdale College before completing a Fine Arts degree at Sheffield University. My influences then and now, amongst others, include Caravaggio, Vermeer, Velasquez, Titian, Rembrandt ,Corot, Chardin and Degas. A portrait of my sister was purchased by the Master Cutler of Sheffield at my degree show- I believe it now hangs in the company of a Picasso and a Sutherland!
On leaving university I began work as a freelance portrait and figure painter and secured a successful one -man show at The Ginnel Gallery in Manchester city centre in 1984. I taught part time but then worked in industry for twenty years, painting in my spare time. In I989 I won the Kenneth Williams Memorial Award for a work depicting the great comedian Tony Hancock. I have exhibited work in the Manchester Academy twice and have been exhibiting at the American Art Gallery in Clint Eastwood’s town of Carmel California for the last three years. My artistic and musical sister and brother in law Kay and Brett live in nearby San Luis Obispo, and have both helped me enormously with my work and website .My older sister Lesley writes poetry.
As a consequence of the sad and untimely death of our good artist friend Garry Johnson, a long lost friendship was rekindled last year with my old artist chums Pete Marsh, Jimi Hynd and Mark Wydler. Garry’s demise has spurred both Pete and I on in our artistic endeavours following gaps in both our artistic careers. These kindred spirits have provided great help and motivation.
Most recently I have been working predominantly on still life and portraiture ; I work in oils , acrylic and watercolour, and usually work from an imprimatura using the paint in glazes. I believe in draughtsmanship and form, and subtlety of colour. My work is the result of close observation from life and hopefully achieves a sense of pictorial reality with a painterliness that has more ‘life’ than a mere photographic representation. My work generally eschews the use of photography for this reason.
Like my father before me, I have had a lifelong interest in piano jazz and finally realized my long-term ambition of seeing the Monterey Jazz Festival in California, something I wish to repeat!
I plan to execute a series of paintings with jazz as its theme in the near future.
I live with my wonderfully supportive and creative partner Jane, for whose patience I am eternally grateful!
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS AND AWARDS
1968 - Painting Prize Lewis’ Department Store Manchester
1973 - Simpson Memorial Public Library Manchester
1979 - Rochdale College of Art.
1980 - Multiple Images Art Exhibition ( Rank Xerox and Riley Advertising ,
Manchester - Cancer Research Campaign), with Geoffrey Key and John
McCombs.
1980 - Edward Mayor Gallery Sheffield
1981 - Manchester Academy- City Art Gallery.
1982 - Manchester Academy- City Art Gallery.
1982 - Degree Show - Sheffield Polytechnic , Faculty Art & Design.
1983 - Manchester Academy- City Art Gallery.
1984 - SOLO SHOW Ginnel Gallery Manchester city centre
1984 - Ginnel Gallery with Bohuslav Barlow and gallery artists
1989 - Kenneth Williams Memorial Prize.
2003 - Gigi’s Wine Bar. San Luis Obispo. California.
2007 - American Art Gallery Carmel California ( Ongoing exhibition)
2010 - Raw Sienna Gallery Knutsford Cheshire ( Ongoing exhibition)
2010 - Calder Gallery Hebden Bridge Yorkshire (Ongoing exhibition)
2010 - FIRST PRIZE WINNER West Lancashire Open Art Competition
The Chapel Gallery Ormskirk Lancashire
2010 - Haworth Open Art Competition Accrington Lancashire.
2010 - Batley Open Art Exhibition Batley Yorkshire
2011 - Wensley Art Gallery Ramsbottom Lancashire SOLO SHOW- 'Paintings and Drawings by Anthony Ogden'
2011 - Sheffield University Fine Art Society Turner Glass Museum SOLO SHOW 'The Girl in Hyacinth Blue'
2011- 'New Beginnings Exhibition' Haworth Art Gallery Accrington Lancs.
'A Spring Tonic Exhibition' Calder Gallery Hebden Bridge West Yorks.
2011/2012 The Bolton Open Art Competition Bolton Lancs
2011 -Charity Exhibition In Aid Of Bolton Hospice Artisan Fine Art Gallery Bolton Lancs
2011 - Mixed Winter Exhibition Everyman Gallery Chorlton Gtr Manchester.
2011 - Halls Fine Art Open competition, Weston Park Granary Art Gallery Shropshire.
2011 - West Lancs Open Art competition Chapel Gallery Ormskirk Lancashire
2011 - SKARTS Open contemporary art exhibition, Stockport Art Gallery, Stockport Cheshire.
2012 - Millyard Gallery Uppermill Saddleworth Oldham.
2012 - Waterside Open Exhibition Waterside Arts Centre Sale Cheshire HIGHLY COMMENDED 'The Girl In Hyacinth Blue'
2012 - The Open Contemporary Art Exhibition Stockport Art Gallery Cheshire WINNER LORD MAYOR'S CHOICE AWARD.
2012 - 'Proud and Loud' Arts Charity Manchester.
2012 - Carbon Bars Bolton Gtr Manchester Permanent Exhibition.
2012 - Gallery 684 Prestwich Manchester.
2012 - West Lancs Open Art competition Chapel Gallery Ormskirk , Lancashire .
2012 - Contemporary Six Gallery, Royal Exchange Arcade – St Ann's Square Manchester.
2012 - Artist in residence – Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar school Lancashire
2013 - "One year on" Open 2012 prize winning artists exhibition- The Lauriston Gallery, Waterside Arts Centre Sale , Cheshire.
2013 - SKARTS Open Contemporary Art Exhibition, Stockport Art Gallery Cheshire.
2013 - West Lancs Open Art Exhibition, Chapel Gallery, Ormskirk, Lancashire
2013 - Haworth Annual “Open open” Haworth Art Gallery Haworth Accrington Lancashire
2013 - Leabrooks Gallery. Somercotes, Alfreton, Derbyshire
Forth coming Exhibitions
2014 - January- March “ Making faces” exhibition Chapel Gallery Ormskirk Lancashire
I also have work in private collections in England, Italy, Sicily, and California.
On leaving school I initially worked as a graphic artist and illustrator. During this period I was commissioned to design the Piccadilly Radio fun bus and several record labels for an independent record company.
In 1978 I did a foundation course in art at Rochdale College before completing a Fine Arts degree at Sheffield University. My influences then and now, amongst others, include Caravaggio, Vermeer, Velasquez, Titian, Rembrandt ,Corot, Chardin and Degas. A portrait of my sister was purchased by the Master Cutler of Sheffield at my degree show- I believe it now hangs in the company of a Picasso and a Sutherland!
On leaving university I began work as a freelance portrait and figure painter and secured a successful one -man show at The Ginnel Gallery in Manchester city centre in 1984. I taught part time but then worked in industry for twenty years, painting in my spare time. In I989 I won the Kenneth Williams Memorial Award for a work depicting the great comedian Tony Hancock. I have exhibited work in the Manchester Academy twice and have been exhibiting at the American Art Gallery in Clint Eastwood’s town of Carmel California for the last three years. My artistic and musical sister and brother in law Kay and Brett live in nearby San Luis Obispo, and have both helped me enormously with my work and website .My older sister Lesley writes poetry.
As a consequence of the sad and untimely death of our good artist friend Garry Johnson, a long lost friendship was rekindled last year with my old artist chums Pete Marsh, Jimi Hynd and Mark Wydler. Garry’s demise has spurred both Pete and I on in our artistic endeavours following gaps in both our artistic careers. These kindred spirits have provided great help and motivation.
Most recently I have been working predominantly on still life and portraiture ; I work in oils , acrylic and watercolour, and usually work from an imprimatura using the paint in glazes. I believe in draughtsmanship and form, and subtlety of colour. My work is the result of close observation from life and hopefully achieves a sense of pictorial reality with a painterliness that has more ‘life’ than a mere photographic representation. My work generally eschews the use of photography for this reason.
Like my father before me, I have had a lifelong interest in piano jazz and finally realized my long-term ambition of seeing the Monterey Jazz Festival in California, something I wish to repeat!
I plan to execute a series of paintings with jazz as its theme in the near future.
I live with my wonderfully supportive and creative partner Jane, for whose patience I am eternally grateful!
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS AND AWARDS
1968 - Painting Prize Lewis’ Department Store Manchester
1973 - Simpson Memorial Public Library Manchester
1979 - Rochdale College of Art.
1980 - Multiple Images Art Exhibition ( Rank Xerox and Riley Advertising ,
Manchester - Cancer Research Campaign), with Geoffrey Key and John
McCombs.
1980 - Edward Mayor Gallery Sheffield
1981 - Manchester Academy- City Art Gallery.
1982 - Manchester Academy- City Art Gallery.
1982 - Degree Show - Sheffield Polytechnic , Faculty Art & Design.
1983 - Manchester Academy- City Art Gallery.
1984 - SOLO SHOW Ginnel Gallery Manchester city centre
1984 - Ginnel Gallery with Bohuslav Barlow and gallery artists
1989 - Kenneth Williams Memorial Prize.
2003 - Gigi’s Wine Bar. San Luis Obispo. California.
2007 - American Art Gallery Carmel California ( Ongoing exhibition)
2010 - Raw Sienna Gallery Knutsford Cheshire ( Ongoing exhibition)
2010 - Calder Gallery Hebden Bridge Yorkshire (Ongoing exhibition)
2010 - FIRST PRIZE WINNER West Lancashire Open Art Competition
The Chapel Gallery Ormskirk Lancashire
2010 - Haworth Open Art Competition Accrington Lancashire.
2010 - Batley Open Art Exhibition Batley Yorkshire
2011 - Wensley Art Gallery Ramsbottom Lancashire SOLO SHOW- 'Paintings and Drawings by Anthony Ogden'
2011 - Sheffield University Fine Art Society Turner Glass Museum SOLO SHOW 'The Girl in Hyacinth Blue'
2011- 'New Beginnings Exhibition' Haworth Art Gallery Accrington Lancs.
'A Spring Tonic Exhibition' Calder Gallery Hebden Bridge West Yorks.
2011/2012 The Bolton Open Art Competition Bolton Lancs
2011 -Charity Exhibition In Aid Of Bolton Hospice Artisan Fine Art Gallery Bolton Lancs
2011 - Mixed Winter Exhibition Everyman Gallery Chorlton Gtr Manchester.
2011 - Halls Fine Art Open competition, Weston Park Granary Art Gallery Shropshire.
2011 - West Lancs Open Art competition Chapel Gallery Ormskirk Lancashire
2011 - SKARTS Open contemporary art exhibition, Stockport Art Gallery, Stockport Cheshire.
2012 - Millyard Gallery Uppermill Saddleworth Oldham.
2012 - Waterside Open Exhibition Waterside Arts Centre Sale Cheshire HIGHLY COMMENDED 'The Girl In Hyacinth Blue'
2012 - The Open Contemporary Art Exhibition Stockport Art Gallery Cheshire WINNER LORD MAYOR'S CHOICE AWARD.
2012 - 'Proud and Loud' Arts Charity Manchester.
2012 - Carbon Bars Bolton Gtr Manchester Permanent Exhibition.
2012 - Gallery 684 Prestwich Manchester.
2012 - West Lancs Open Art competition Chapel Gallery Ormskirk , Lancashire .
2012 - Contemporary Six Gallery, Royal Exchange Arcade – St Ann's Square Manchester.
2012 - Artist in residence – Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar school Lancashire
2013 - "One year on" Open 2012 prize winning artists exhibition- The Lauriston Gallery, Waterside Arts Centre Sale , Cheshire.
2013 - SKARTS Open Contemporary Art Exhibition, Stockport Art Gallery Cheshire.
2013 - West Lancs Open Art Exhibition, Chapel Gallery, Ormskirk, Lancashire
2013 - Haworth Annual “Open open” Haworth Art Gallery Haworth Accrington Lancashire
2013 - Leabrooks Gallery. Somercotes, Alfreton, Derbyshire
Forth coming Exhibitions
2014 - January- March “ Making faces” exhibition Chapel Gallery Ormskirk Lancashire
I also have work in private collections in England, Italy, Sicily, and California.