Mick Cawston  S.E.A. 

Born in 1959 in Dagenham, Essex, Mick is the son of deaf and dumb parents.  His father teaches and translates the deaf and dumb language for the police. 

Mick has sketched for as long as he can remember and won his first exhibition at the age of seven.  He was educated at the Robert Clack Comprehensive School in Dagenham, and on leaving school he trained as a cabinet maker before signing up in the army for three years.  After the army he spent six months working as a messenger in London and then went on a lone tour of Europe for two months. 

Throughout all this time he continued to draw and on his return from Europe he set up a market stall in Covent Garden sketching portraits in pastels for £3.00 a time. 

After six months in Covent Garden he moved on to work for a London silversmith designing items for the arab market. 

From London he moved into the country and spent the next three years living in a cottage on a farm in Burnham-on-Crouch, and again sold his work on market stalls.  Although his fee for portraits rose to £18.00, he still couldn't make a living.  Rising debts made him attempt to paint in oils so that he might earn a little more.  He started to paint seriously in oils in the early part of 1987.  By the middle of 1987 he had been discovered by Sally Mitchell and by the end of 1987 he had his first two limited-edition prints published after his work. 

Mick's development and success has been so meteoric that he has now had a vast number of prints published after his work, of which many have sold out.  They are in demand all over the world, as are his paintings, and his work has been exhibited successfully in Tokyo, Stockholm, Verona, Dublin, New York, and Kentucky, as well as one-man exhibitions in Scotland, Norfolk and London.     

The first time he exhibited at the Society of Equestrian Artists in London with only the second horse picture he had ever painted, he won the award for the best newcomer, the next year he was awarded full membership. 

His work has appeared in numerous publications and on the front covers of many magazines.  Although he is best known for his dog pictures, his wildlife pictures are equally good. 

Originals of his work, although much sought after, can be obtained, and the prices range from £300.00 to £3,500.00.