As part of the Chapel Allerton Artists ‘Window of Art Trail’ from 3rd - 5th September we’ll be displaying work by David Keighley in the Chirpy window.

David attended Jacob Kramer College of Art (now Leeds Arts University), where he studied graphic design, life drawing, pie eating, photography and photographic retouching.
 
From there David spent around nine years working around advertising agencies, printers and design studios until in 1984, he went freelance as a graphic designer and illustrator, trading under the name Design Standards, where he offered design, illustration and print for local and national companies.

His portrait painting developed alongside his illustration work, which included art posters, greetings cards and technical illustrations.
 
In 2004 he realised that there were more important things in life than to just give someone a pile of leaflets, so he went to work for the NHS as a support nurse on a mental health ward for the elderly. Three years later he became an Occupational Therapy Assistant, also within a mental health setting, where he ran therapeutic art groups, alongside lots of other stuff going on at the hospital.

David gave all that up in 2018 to slow down a little and carry on with his painting.
 
He believes in God and that we should take much better care of our planet, our neighbourhoods and each other; his favourite film is Amelie and loved Spongebob Squarepants when his children were growing up.

See more of David's work at lettherebepaint.co.uk