Mick Loates

Mick was born in Orpington Kent in 1947 and studied at Sidcup and Ravensthorne Schools of Art. Following what he recalls as a wasted and frustrating spell in advertising, he began a career illustrating for the RSPB exhibiting at galleries in London and the provinces, selling to collectors from Australia, New Zealand, the Americas, South Africa and throughout Europe.

Mick makes it quite clear that all true Art is personal, he does not intellectualise about modern abstracts any more than he would be expected to be criticised by their creators. Realism for him bears importance yet detail does not, in fact, he has said frequently that viewers commenting on his work as detailed are invariably "missing the point". If elements of abstraction exist in his work it must surely be in his unique treatment of water rhythms.

A man who is passionate about all that he undertakes, both within his work and interests. Viewing his finest works one can see that he is painter possessed of a rare vision.
His water studies sing, his subjects live and his determination to achieve anatomical accuracy without getting bogged down by illustrative detail is quintessential.

A seasoned traveller to remote corners of Europe, The Ukraine, North Africa, California, the mid Pacific Islands, New Zealand and the Nepalese Himalayas, Mick currently lives in South Devon. His other interests include distance walking, sea swimming, playing Blues guitar and fishing.

Written by The Late Anthony de Wint

London 1999.