S H o p

This is the story of a secret artist: teaching by day whilst creating artworks in the dead-zone between night and morning. Neil Cole's art carries the reader from his home, crossing a shifting hinterland, finally revealing a private landscape imbued with emotion, populated by ancient symbols and rich in narrative.

For most of his life Neil Cole has lived in the Northumbrian market town of Corbridge. His artworks document his life, and the book begins with an overview of his local ink drawings and genre illustrations. What follows is a journey into unknown territory; where the subconscious collides with reality.

A detailed text (written by the artist), accompanies the imagery. It is a story of small, personal events; a struggle to express artistic ideas fielded against circumstances determined to prevent this.

The book is lavishly illustrated throughout with Neil's pencils, oil paintings and sculpted works. Legendary artist Andrew Skilleter provides a foreword to this unique collection.