Bernard McMullen

Bernard McMullen was born in 1952 in the City of Birmingham and his childhood years were spent in the mining village of Hurley in the beautiful countryside of Warwickshire. Bernard hailed from a working class background, his father being a miner and his mother a housewife, and he is one of five children.

Being of an adventurous disposition, he joined the army at 15 years of age and served 22 years with the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. In 1982 he was awarded the British Empire Medal for Gallantry. During his service career he toured the world and painted on the streets of many famous cities and their backwaters. Bernard admits that this was the best way to develop his painting skills and to take criticism, albeit good and bad, from an ever watchful public.

In 1988 Bernard married a Manchester girl and is now settled in the area. When asked the secret of his success he puts it down to hard work, dedication, and the ever enduring support of his wife.

Bernard’s paintings reflect the hustle and bustle of bygone days and capture the light and atmosphere of rural and urban scenes. He has had several successful exhibitions, one being at the City of Salford Art Gallery which was a total sell-out and resulted in a television appearance and radio interviews. He was last interviewed on GMR radio in November 1997 by Alan Beswick, marking the 20^th anniversary of the closure of the famous Belle Vue site. Bernard’s original painting of the Belle Vue site is at present on loan to the printers New Leaf Press, where it hangs in one of their offices.

Following a growing demand for his work, Bernard agreed to several projects which allowed his work to become more widely available, the first such project being the “McMullen Manchester 1998 Calendar” which featured twelve Manchester scenes of nostalgic nature, published by Northern Art Promotions and printed by New Leaf Press. This was followed by the publication of a collection of signed Limited Edition Prints.

Bernard’s work has been acquired by many leading companies and organisations, including Manchester United Football Club, BUPA, and Barnardos. He has also worked for the Princess Anne’s Trust and has donated several paintings to the St. Ann’s Hospice, Red Rose appeal, and other charitable organisations.

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