Bob Bernard

My paintings employ expressive mark making and colour to capture the Peak District’s dramatic structures formed by the changing tones and hues each season brings.

I am a painter who grew up in Manchester and in 1984 moved to Sheffield to study fine art.

I paint from the striking and rugged scenery in the Peak District, using oils and pastels, employing expressive mark making and colour to capture the dramatic physical structures of the Peaks, scenery enhanced by the light and battered by the northern English weather.

I have exhibited locally, nationally and internationally, and am a member of Peak District Artisans.

I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s 6 years ago. Parkinson’s was affecting my work and I was struggling with slowness of movement, stiffness and loss of fine motor control. I realised that I needed to ‘own’ my Parkinson’s and allow my work to become more expressive.

Enforced lifestyle changes increased the time that I could spend focusing on my own artwork. I could use Parkinson’s as a positive, as an opportunity to make better art.