Mike Knight Sold at Auction Prices

b. 1942 - d. 2004

Biography of Mike Knight. NDD ATD FRSA .

Born in 1942, it was clear from an early age that Mike Knight wanted to be an artist.

He had a driving ambition which was pursued at Wolverhampton Art College, specialising in painting, later gaining a teaching degree at Manchester College of Art and University.

Then followed art teaching appointments at Wellington Grammar School and Windsor High School as Head of the Art Department.

In 1974 he became Staff Tutor for Creative Arts at The Hill Adult Residential College, Abergavenny, lecturing in art and art history and contributing to courses for The Open University. He devoted increasing time to painting, and as demand for his work increased, became a professional painter in 1978, the year in which he was elected a Fellow of The Royal Society of Arts.

He had many successful exhibitions and much of his work was sold in art galleries and department stores. He produced a popular range of prints and at one time had four prints in "The Top Ten".

For a number of years he lectured and demonstrated to art societies and was a member of the Winsor and Newton demonstration team.

In 1979 he painted a prestigious mural in a Scottish hotel followed by numerous other commissions. He specialised in producing prints for the rooms of large hotel chains, colour co-ordinated to match the decor.

After selling his work though galleries, department stores and an agent, he decided to sell his work direct, and opened his own gallery in Ludlow, Shropshire, called The Country Artist. It flourished for seventeen years and in 1996 he opened a second gallery in Hay-on-Wye, also called The Country Artist. Both galleries have now closed and his work is now sold exclusively on the Internet.

In 1998 he wrote his first novel "Of Apples and Serpents", published in hard back. It has been said that ".... he uses an artist's eye to describe scenes of country life which are as evocative as those painted by his brush." "....thoroughly recommended to all those who enjoy an exciting story with vivid descriptions of the ever-changing moods of the countryside."

His expertise was diverse and his interests led him from portrait painting and architectural studies, through seascapes, boating pictures and mural painting to his final interests in rural landscapes and animal portraits.

In 1999 he began to develop his Web site which has enjoyed increasing success and became a well visited, award winning site.

He spent the last years of his life in Herefordshire, surrounded by beautiful scenery, which inspired the painting of evocative pictures reflecting his love of the countryside.

Tragically, he passed away on Dec 15th 2004 following a heart attack.