Growing up in a workng-class family in England art and culture wasn’t part of conversation for Chris Ingles.
It wasn’t until he had married and his children were grown that he started exploring his creative side.
“I started to create art pieces...and they were somewhat dark and perhaps a reflection of my creative spirit at the time,” he said.
After retiring from his long and busy career in commercial banking, he and his wife Ruth decided to “sell-up” and move away from the big city life.
In 2008, the couple landed in Nelson to be closer to their grandchildren and Ingles became more interested in art than at any other time.
His pieces began to move away from their darker roots to being more vibrant with a real “attention to detail type” and he describes it as bordering on the obsessive compulsive.
“I love detail and incorporating both meaningful and not-so-meaningful scripting and pictures in my work,” said Ingles.
In his work, references to events from the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s hold some relevance to today.
“While some pieces are very much tongue and cheek, observer may see a reflection in the work that has bearing on who they were and perhaps who they have become,” he said
Even though, Ingles may have come to art later than some, he feels there is no limit to what a person can create.
“There is an incredible spectrum of talent in our community and perhaps without knowing it we become creative in our own unique way as a result of soaking up all the different mediums of arts and culture around us,” he said.