Strokes of genius

Nothing extraordinary, you might think, for a place as creative as the Big Apple, where some of the best artwork in the world can be found.

But when you think that it was created right in the heart of the Black Country, you start to realise just how talented painter Dean Melbourne is.

Over the last couple of years, the 38-year-old's work has flown out of his Stourbridge studio like tropical birds, finding new homes all over the world.

You see, it's not just in New York that his artwork has made an impact. The Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition is the world's largest open entry exhibition and has been showcasing exquisite art in London every year since 1769.

Dean's work has been displayed there three times, chosen by leading industry figures to sit alongside the work of some exceptional artists.

Now as he prepares to exhibit in Hong Kong for the first time, the University of Wolverhampton graduate is starting to truly find his confidence in the art world, one brush stroke at a time.

We meet in a creative setting, in the Library of Birmingham where the painter had been researching a number of topics and themes to inspire him.

"I suppose I want my work to nudge people to think in a way that goes beyond their surface. Maybe the kind of feeling we get when we visit old churches ancient castle ruins or stone circles. A sense of perspective on where we are from and what is important."

Though Dean explains the reasoning behind his artwork well, he's very straight-talking and has no air of arrogance or superiority, something that might be expected from an artist of such calibre.

"I used to have quite a romantic idea of what a being a painter might be. For me growing up, I was just as interested in who a painter was as I was in their work. Being one looked glamorous and I thought it'd give me a voice – a way to express my creativity in a way that wouldn't get me picked on by my mates.

"I was one of those kids at school that was OK at drawing, and that became my identity, really."

But the journey from young scribbler to a fully-fledged painter who showcases his work at the world's largest open entry exhibition took years of perseverance. They say nothing worth having comes easy, and Dean's journey from classroom to the Summer Exhibition certainly wasn't a cinch.

He said: "I didn't do very well in my art GCSE and only got a D, but I went to art college in Stourbridge where I had a tutor who really took me under his wing. As a teenager I got a bit self conscious and tried too hard. It was as if any ability I had just evaporated. I've been fighting back from that ever since."

Still keen to develop his skills further, Dean went to the University of Wolverhampton to study painting.

"I had this fear that I wasn't academically clever, a

hangover from school, I guess. I started badly but just played the game. The first time I ever got an A grade in my life was during my final module at uni."

Reinvigorated

Like many students, Dean didn't walk straight out of university and into a job as a professional painter. From there he went back to Stourbridge College and taught art at a number of levels for seven years, before taking an education role at Wolverhampton Museum and Art Gallery.

"I took a role as an art interpreter and I tried to translate art into Black Country, almost. I think contemporary art can make people feel alienated, and I am really passionate about breaking down those barriers as much as I can."

Translating other artists' work for gallery visitors was a rewarding role, but when it came to his own art, Dean had started to feel like giving it up.

"I was at the museum for four years, during which time I did a free course to help small creative businesses flourish. It came just at the right time and it reinvigorated me.

"I learned that painting isn't the whole job, and had to separate business from the art. I guess I was a bit of an exemplary student on the course, and so I started working for Fierce Earth, who had hosted it."

While working there, Dean continued to practice his art for two days a week and asked painter and printmaker Eileen Cooper to mentor him. He'd sold some paintings when he first graduated from university but sales had died off with time and his confidence was low.

With Eileen's encouragement, Dean entered the Summer Show, and his work was chosen for display.

"I sold a piece in London which was a real confidence boost. I borrowed some money to upgrade my paint and canvasses, upped my game and exhibited. I sold a piece for four times more than I'd ever sold before, and it gave me self belief."

In the wake of his success, Dean's work was noticed by art dealers, collaborators and exhibitors Coates and Scarry, who offered him a spot in a group show in London among artists who were more advanced and experienced than he was.

Surprisingly for him, a piece of Dean's work sold first, and soon after held his first solo London show.

With this boost, and Coates and Scarry's support, Dean made the decision to take up art full-time, and he did so in early 2014. With Arts Council funding, he began to engage with the community, speaking to students at his old college.

"I talked students through the route I'd taken from the seats they were sitting in to where I am now. It inspired me to make more work and so everything picked up."

Two of his pieces sold in New York and the foundation was laid to show another seven or eight paintings in Hong Kong, scheduled to take place in March.

His art being shared throughout the world is an incredible feat, but Dean doesn't see himself as a success just yet. The husband and father of one doesn't think he'll be a success for quite a few years yet.

"I asked myself what was really important to me, what was success? I figured that being a good painter by the time I was 75 seemed like a reasonable target. I think that's how long it takes, really."

At just 38, Dean has 37 years to get there. As we depart the creative heart of the library, with our own new-found interest in art, we have no doubt that he'll get there.