A Hertford Based Artist

I am fortunate to have my studio based at Dicker Mill, a historic site on the edge of Hertford, connected to the town by the riverside towpath.

My connection with Dicker Mill stretches back many years. From my teens I was often found fishing in the mill stream near to my Dad’s engineering business at Dicker Mill. The business has grown over the years and is now managed by the family., Ben and Katie and myself. Ben’s wife Charlie has her business based at The Mill House Dicker Mill- ‘Wonder Den’.

Over the year since the 1960’s Hertford has been an important part of my life.

In April 2004, I exhibited there with fellow artists as part of the collective Inparallel:

2004 (April) – Inparallel Group Exhibition, Dicker Mill, Hertford, Hertfordshire.

Since then, I have exhibited widely across Hertfordshire at a variety of local venues and arts events.

In 2011, as a member of the collective praesentia, I worked alongside two colleagues to research the history of Hertford and develop an art trail across the town. The project culminated in an exhibition launched at Courtyard Arts. The art trail was very successful, although it required a considerable amount of research and organisation.

I am always drawn to projects that combine creative practice with historical research, and this project provided a wealth of inspiration. As we explored different aspects of Hertford’s past, the history of Dicker Mill itself emerged as a particularly fascinating thread.

Our research coincided with the Wallace 100 anniversary celebrations, and we soon found our focus. I was especially inspired to discover that Alfred Russel Wallace had lived in Hertford and spent time on the meads near my studio. One story that particularly resonated with me was his rescue of his younger brother from drowning in the River Beane.

This discovery informed my video The Simple Act of Walking, which seeks to evoke the experience of children running through long grass, splashing through the river, and crossing over towards Hartham Common.

I later developed these ideas further in Stream, a video work tracing the waterways in and around Hertford.

This year I am taking part in Herts Visual Arts Open Studios, not at my studio in Hertford but at The Forge Digswell, where I am a member of the printmakers group. in September 2026.

We are also staging an Open Studio Event in June at The Forge Digswell on June 20th and 21st.

Digswell Arts is a charitable trust which provides subsidised studio space for emerging artists. Read all about The Trust’s history HERE

Hope to see you there : The Forge Digswell AL6OBU.

Selected Exhibitions and Awards

2011 (November 11–20) – praesentia, Caffè Yum, Hertford, Hertfordshire

2012 (March) – praesentia, Courtyard Arts, Hertford, Hertfordshire

2012 (September) – Open Studios, Unit 3, Dicker Mill, Hertford, Hertfordshire SG13 7AE

2012 – Best Video Prize awarded by Elstree Heritage at the Eastern Approaches Open Exhibition, St Albans, Hertfordshire, for the video Stream

2013 (November 10) – Praesentia one-day launch of the Wallace 100 Art Trail, Courtyard Arts Centre, Port Vale, Bengeo, Hertfordshire