I have known Peter Tinkler for some years now – in fact – it must have been ten years since we first started spending time together – ALWAYS with the one proviso – on my part: that Peter has to bring his sketch books with him !
Peter was educated in Ireland, studied illustration and animation in Wolverhampton (where we first met), and he now lives and works in Birmingham.
Artwork by Peter Tinkler for Through the Woods
“My work is predominantly traditional, with an emphasis on technique rather than style (although how you define style is still up for debate).” he tells me;
“I do enjoy the challenge of editorial illustration. It is an opportunity to comment on contemporary society, to share your voice with the disgruntled collective, and also to trust your artistic intuition when deadlines are tight.
I’m influenced by many avenues of art, including literature, film, and history, but if I was forced to give specific examples” … yes please Peter!
“I would say the imagery of Goya, the Vienna Secession, and the principles of the Pre-Raphaelites, hold particular meaning.”
This isn’t the first time we have worked formally together – If you have seen the pamphlet Through the Woods – then you are probably already a fan of his work.
Peter Tinkler’s idea forming in his sketchbook
My painting is based on a rough sketch I did on one of my trips back to Ireland. During a walk through a woods in the small town of Stradbally I came across some ruins that date back to the time of the Irish Famine (the mid 19th century). As soon as I laid eyes upon it I knew this was going to be my idea for the nettles book cover. Nettles, it occurred to me, often seem to encroach on once busy pathways, and man-made places that have fallen into ruin and abandonment. Where once there was thriving human life, now there is only nature enveloping mans emblems of achievement and vanity. But also the idea that although a maligned species, nettles are often found in secretive places, hiding forgotten wonders, and therefore possess something of a semblance of mystery. The painting was done entirely in oils on linen, and measures 16×12.
Peter Tinkler works further on his Stinging Nettles cover
The Poetry on Stinging Nettles ebook is part of the Maligned Species project
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