About the Artist

Simeon Stafford was born in the 1950'5 in Dukinfied, a small Northern cotton town bordering the Pennines. In the 50's the town was still the landscape that has been typified by L.S.Lowry and other Northern English artists.

Stafford's artistic career began early. He owned his first set of oil paints at the age of 6. By the end of 1970, Stafford had won the Robert Owen Schools Award for art and the Manchester Evening News Portrait award. It was the same auspicious year that he was introduced to L. S. Lowry who became a friend of the family and encouraged the young Simeon to study art.

Throughout 1972 and 1973 Stafford studied art at Hyde College. His tutor was Christine Kendall, the wife of the art historian Richard Kendall. They enriched Stafford's concept of art and became long standing friends.

In 1974 Stafford became a professional artist and exhibited his work in mixed exhibitions throughout the North of England and London. His work reflected the gritty northern landscape and it's characters.

In 1996 Stafford's life underwent a radical change when he moved to Cornwall and saw the art from a different location. He was able to reflect from a distance on the life he had left behind. He compared the work of Northern artists he admired, Alan Lowndes, W Turner and the Northern School to the art of Cornwall. Stafford realised that he could not abandon the path he was on and needed to develop his own way. He continued to use the strong images in his memory, images from Northern anecdotes, of the family home in Dukinfield, childhood and friends.

Today, Stafford's art has matured into a unique blend of the haunting art of his roots and the impact of Cornwall. This has culminated in a series of powerful expressionistic paintings. Stafford continues to have successful exhibitions in London and Cornwall. His painting accepted for the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition was promptly purchased.

Throughout Stafford's life, music has paralleled his art. He is a composer of piano and orchestral works. His music has been played both in connection with his art exhibitions and in concerts, notably at Indian Kings, Camelford and the BBC Music Week, Truro.

Stafford's music and painting are interlinked by his love of form and colour.