DP Cooper - Biography

I grew up in Lancaster watching my father paint wonderful pictures of buses and trains on the dining table. He was a celebrated transport artist with a passion for buses and inspired me greatly. I used to try and copy his paintings, so it was no real surprise that at the age of 16 I found my way to Blackpool and Fylde College to study Technical and Scientific Illustration. Five years of study ended with a Distinction and passage into working briefly for English Heritage, finishing a project I’d started at college illustrating Furness Abbey in Cumbria.

After 12 months working on this beautiful building, and with itchy feet, I headed to the Netherlands to work for Philips Electronics as an Illustrator, where I stayed for just over two years. From there I went south to the Cote d’Azur in France, finding work with IBM and Accenture before becoming freelance in 1999. This gave me creative freedom and allowed me to develop and hone my skills as an artist and illustrator.

During my years in France I fell in love with the architecture of the old hilltop villages, the contrast of sunlight and shadow on stucco walls, colourful windows and interesting doorways. These found their way into my work, all the while continuing with my first love, wildlife; influenced by the likes of David Shepherd, Robert Bateman and Raymond Harris-Ching.

In 2013, after 25 years away I returned to the UK settling across the Pennines in York. Since then I have been rediscovering the Yorkshire landscape and the wonderful industrial architecture the region has to offer. This has given my work a fresh lease of life and inspired me to try new techniques to try and capture this whole new palette.

I have exhibited at home and abroad, most recently in Harrogate and Ripon, and my work hangs on the walls of customers across Europe and beyond.

For more information or to discuss a commission, please don't hesitate to contact me on 07921 926905 or send me an email: dave@dpcooper.com