What lead Stephen to open Art & Office? Here he gives a short background.
I had a wonderful art teacher at RGS, High Wycombe called Anthony Manwaring. He inspired me to apply for art college. After completing a Foundation Course in High Wycombe I spent 4 years at Newport College of Art, South Wales. I gained a degree in Graphic Design, specialising in Typography. My training was pre computer and the emphasis was on drawing skills and training the eye.
A pencil visual for a contents page
Sketched layout for The Newport Survey
I continued at Newport with David Hurn’s Documentary Photography course. Photography was on film and we would print contact sheets, tutors would critique and we would go out and reshoot until we got the best pictures.
WRVS annual report pictures
Abercarn
Cardiff University Orchestra
After college I worked in an advertising agency, moved on to be Publicity Officer for the London Borough of Hillingdon and then set up my own design business in 1989 - using Apple Macs, this I ran for 11 years.
Proof for a colour brochure, magic marker visual
After a short period as Marketing Director for a plastics engineering company I wanted my own business again and set up Art & Office. Everything seemed to fit, I had worked in retail as a student I knew how to run my own business and I had experience working with a variety of graphic and artist materials. I wanted to inspire people to get creative as I had been inspired. I have loved the last 17 years, I never stop learning and I am looking forward to this new chapter at Art & Office.