From thriving at art in school, to a career spraying surfboards both in Cornwall (U.K) and overseas, I have been drawing, airbrushing, designing, cutting stencils and popping the lids off paint tins, all the while soaking up many creative offerings. For a long time surfing and travelling governed my spirit and I was never in one place long enough to produce artwork outside of surfboards to return my interest.
In 2005 serendipity led to an afternoon with a camera which turned to a zeal for photography and design that prompted my ninth visit to New Zealand. This time to attend a graphic design course and achieve a ‘Diploma with Merit’ plus a ‘Highly Commended in Design’ award from an industry panel.
In 2009 I returned to Cornwall with new skills and set-up Sleepless ink. It was an idea to corral my creative pursuits and let them thrive under one name. The idea was rewarded when the CEO of Fat Face spotted my work on a restaurant wall and contacted me. This led to designing a summer season of T-shirts for Fat Face, as well as being included in a national art project and gaining publicity in local newspapers, Devon and Cornwall Life, national surf magazines and Loaded. Since then I have enjoyed several private and company commissions, plus being well received by galleries.
Kevin Cooper