Charlie Beck was born in Harrogate, is 44, and lives in Firswood, Manchester, with his family.
‘I always used to draw when I was little and did art at school but gave up after my GCSEs, then took it up again in my mid-twenties for a short while before starting once more in lockdown during the pandemic.’
The Swimmer. Beck’s art is stunningly original. Pic: C Beck
‘I always work from photos as it takes too long to work from life. For large pictures it will take me a few days to do. The Swimmer is from a few photos as I wanted to capture the dive and also someone climbing out from the water.’
Beck in Manchester. Pic: C Beck
‘I work solely with pastels. I have bought brushes and canvases so I can start painting but they’re gathering dust. I love pastels as no one else does them. Also they’re easy to set up and tidy away so I can drop in on work when I wish. They’re quite technical though. It’s hard to correct mistakes or add too much detail. Also you have to start each picture in the top left corner and work your way down so you don’t smudge it.’
‘The DJ Harvey was a commission for a Christmas present for my friend Dudley. I found a photo I’d taken of Harvey with his big head in the foreground.’
DJ Harvey. The disco legend portrayed at Electric Chair, Mayfield Depot, Manchester. Pic: C Beck
‘One of the first pictures I attempted when returning to my art in lockdown was Magic Woods. I was really pleased with how this turned out so I auctioned it on Instagram for charity. The overwhelmingly positive response spurred me to go again.’
A sense of the eternal. Magic Woods. Pic: C Beck
Beck’s exhibition has its opening night on 26 October at Electrik bar in Chorlton, Manchester, and runs until 22 November.
Small framed prints are £65, large £160
Original commissions, in art-glass, start at £250
