Andrew Hood was born in 1964, and brought up in Edinburgh. He began his career as a graphic designer, but later returned to Art College to retrain, taking a degree in illustration at John Moores University.

When I first visited Andrew's studio a while back, I felt the element of graphic design in his work was still fairly dominant, but it had a distinct quality, and I felt it worth waiting to see where his work went in future.

In February, four years later, I returned to his studio and saw these brilliant painterly canvases, based on his recent travels, with their fresh palette, strong sense of identity and intricate layering of paint, and was very taken by them. It had been worth the wait.

Andrew has a great love of travel, and his lengthy trips to Italy, France, Morocco and Croatia have provided him with references for this new series of paintings.

I try and allow, in fact encourage, the paint to act in its own way, allowing certain moments of chance to occur, whilst trying to manipulate the materials I use in a more coordinated way.

Andrew Hood, September 2011

Andrew regularly exhibits with the R.W.A, and the R.H.A, as well as at London Art Fairs, and with the Oriel Gallery in Ireland, Beaux Arts in Bath and the Weifaus Gallery in Eindhoven.

He has undertaken commissions for W.H. Smiths, the B.B.C., and the Art Group amongst others, and has recently been proposed for membership of the R.W.A.