Steve Murray

I was born in Rochdale in 1957. After a career spanning four decades in the NHS (originally training as a nurse at Birch Hill Hospital) I returned to painting in 2016. 

I'm self-taught and whilst my earlier work involved figuration i now explore our local natural environments, including those where humans have left their mark. This allows for reflection on legacy and change; long-term rather than short-termism. I'm not interested in depicting scenery as such; I tend towards abstraction, moving between the directly visual and the spirit of place. 

I work from home, which is close to Rochdale town centre, enjoying the benefits of the urban whilst being free to roam up onto the moors and follow the pathways we've walked for centuries. From the centre of town, we just have to lift our eyes to see the Pennines with all their moods; sometimes hidden by cloud or mist, then glorious in the sunshine. Beyond those hills seemed like another world when I was a child, both a barrier and an invitation to explore. 

I've taken part in more than a dozen group shows in the UK.