“There should be something of visual interest in every part of the picture … My job is to make your eyes dance!”

— Roger Davies

Roger Davies is a storyteller in two mediums: pen and brush, lyric and chord. Based in Brighouse, West Yorkshire, he creates vibrant paintings rooted in local scenes while maintaining an active career as a folk/folk‑rock songwriter and performer. His work blends the observational and the celebratory, capturing everyday life with warmth, humour and visual energy.

Early Life & Artistic Influences

Roger Davies discovered art through a Lowry print in his grandmother’s home and began drawing as a child, often tracing cartoons and sketching everyday scenes. He studied Fine Art in Dundee, spent time at the Art Institute of Chicago, and has long admired Van Gogh’s bold, expressive style—an influence still visible in his work today.

The Music Interlude & Return to Art

For over 15 years, Roger Davies focused on music—writing songs, recording albums, and performing across the UK, including a 2016 tour with folk legends Fairport Convention. Yet his passion for painting never disappeared. In 2017, approaching 40, he returned to visual art with renewed energy, drawing on memory, music, and Yorkshire life. His first solo exhibition in 2018 at the Harrison Lord Gallery sold out, launching a new chapter in his creative career.

Style, Themes & Technique

Idiosyncratic Realism

Roger describes his style as “a bit like drawings, a bit like prints and a bit like paintings all at the same time.” Simplicity, exaggeration, and controlled distortion are part of the vocabulary.

His compositions are busy and energetic: he ensures that every corner of the canvas engages the viewer. Figures, places, signs, and little visual jokes are scattered throughout.

Locality & Memory as Muse

Davies draws heavily from West Yorkshire and Calderdale landscapes, landmarks, streets, pubs, shops, bus stops, architecture, and personal memories.

Some iconic subjects include:

The Piece Hall (Halifax)
The Rex Cinema in Elland
Betty’s Tea Rooms in Ilkley
Castle Hill, Emley Moor Mast, bus stations, local shops, and his own appearances (with guitar case) in the scenes.

Materials & Method

Davies often begins with charcoal / pencil sketching, then works in acrylic. He favours Saunders Waterford 140 lb cotton paper, which handles multiple layers yet absorbs paint without too much bleed. He uses wide masking tape edges to ensure a crisp border when removed.

His typical acrylic palette consists of: titanium white, cadmium yellow, emerald green, ultramarine, cobalt blue, cadmium red, burnt umber, velvet purple, warm grey, Payne’s grey.

What Makes Roger Davies Stand Out

Roger Davies’s work resonates because it’s rooted in familiarity—his paintings are visual stories of places people know and love. He bridges the gap between art and music, with each discipline enriching the other. More than just a creator, he’s a community voice, engaging audiences through exhibitions, workshops, and public commissions that celebrate local identity.

Roger Davies: A Voice in Paint & Song