“This Is Manchester”: Michael Ashcroft’s Truthful Series Of Paintings That Celebrate The Northern City
A master of landscape and cityscape in oils, Michael Ashcroft’s truthful style has captured the heart of Manchester and its art lovers. His familiar Northern scenes, like wet roads at dusk, raddled pub facades, and landmarks in the afternoon sun, are painted to celebrate the bustling and beautiful nature of this city.
Born in 1969, Michael John Ashcroft grew up in a small village called Croston in the heart of Lancashire and from an early age he had a keen interest in all things arty. After leaving school in 1985 with top grades in art he began his career as an engineer, painting and sketching only in his spare time. In 1998 he had a major operation to remove a brain tumour and decided to paint more seriously. He returned back to college and completed numerous classes in art including A- level fine art, OCA in portraiture and life drawing classes which he continues to do on a weekly basis.
His paintings have evolved over the years from early abstract acrylics to using oils and more representational works. The foundations that underpin his paintings hasn’t changed and that is his fascination with light and dark and his love for the city and the landscape.
Michael’s work has become highly sought after and he is seen as being a painter using traditional methods as David Lee Art Critic and editor of the art review magazine The Jackdaw quoted:
“There are no secrets in what he does. Being open and honest he tells you directly through his pictures where his interests lie. We don’t have to be told by experts the meaning of his work because they are self-evident – we can see them for ourselves. In his landscapes as well as his views of the city, he willingly lays bare his pleasures and beliefs. You can’t ask more of any artist than this. He is a worthy heir of those in the great tradition of Lancashire painters.”
More: Michael Ashcrof, Instagram, Facebook h/t: creativeboom
