Although I was born in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in 1955 I have both a rich Celtic heritage, through my Irish and Scottish roots, and a strong independent streak that I take from my Yorkshire ancestors. I had the pleasure of living in Canada and all over the UK before finally settling next to the sea in Paignton, Devon.
I originally had a forty-year corporate career as a Chartered Accountant and Business Psychologist (working mainly in the creative sectors) before I gave it all up to pursue my dream of being a full-time artist in 2020.
I have been lucky enough to have travelled to some remote parts of the world to have experienced other cultures, artistic styles and visited amazing art galleries and many museums. My paintings incorporate some of the colours and designs that I have encountered on those travels.
My creative journey began with watercolours and dry mediums before transitioning to oils in 2020. I’ve since studied under some incredibly talented international artists such as Martin Kinnear RCA, David Grey, Cesar Santos, Danny Ferland, Louis Smith, Tina Garrett and Teresa Oaxaca.
I have been lucky to have lived in beautiful countryside all my life from the coastlines of Count Antrim, the hills of the Cotswolds and finally the dramatic countryside of Devon. These natural landscapes have allowed me to commune with nature, to feel at one with the land and the skies, to see how people interact with the land, to find peace and listen to the mood music that nature creates. My paintings try to capture the music and beauty of the landscapes and of the people I live amongst. Devon, and especially Teignmouth, has provided me with friendships which I have reflected in paintings of people from the area and allows me to suggest the powerful emotions that these people, landscapes and local scenes evoke in me.
I recently completed an 18 month Diploma in Oil Painting with the amazing contemporary artist Martin Kinnear RCA. Martin taught me studio craft and encouraged me to look at the many different genres of paintings. The course allowed me to develop my artistic practice, to use my imagination and be braver with my paintings both in colour, composition and in all technical aspects. This exhibition effective reflects learnings from my course.
My favourite artists include Bouguereau, Sargent, Vermeer, Rembrandt, Degas, Sorolla, Van Gogh, Klimt, Schiele and Monet yet, as each month goes by I discover another!
All these influences have encouraged me to paint in a contemporary style with an emphasis on modern realism with supporting abstraction. I like bold, colourful compositions and where applicable I try to link them to how we as humans interact with others and nature.
You can see some of my latest work and some work in progress shots on Instagram IG:mcsparron_artist.
Exhibitions:
My paintings have been shown and sold at the following venues and exhibitions:
2025 Solo Show in Teignmouth, Devon
2025 Torbay Guild Of Artits
2024 Artizan juried Winter exhibition
2024 Teignmouth Art Society spring and summer exhibitions
2024 French Twinning Exhibition Teignmouth
2023 Torbay Guild of Artists Summer Exhibition
2023 Teignmouth Art Society spring and summer exhibitions
2022 Artizan juried winter exhibition, Torquay, Devon
2022 Devon Artists Collective Exhibition Kingswear, Devon
2022 Torbay Guild of Artists Exhibition, Devon
2021 King Lear Competition – shortlisted for Brixham Lighthouse
2021 Teignmouth Winter Exhibition, Devon
2021 Artizan juried winter exhibition, Torquay, Devon
2021 Victoria Gallery annual juried art exhibition, Bath, Avon and Somerset
2021 Devon Open Studios exhibitor
2018 Lechlade Art Society annual exhibition, Oxfordshire (Won people’s choice prize)
2021 Powderham Castle summer exhibition, Devon
2019 Patchings annual juried art exhibition, Nottinghamshire