Throughout a career encompassing wildlife, portraits, nudes & seascapes, Mick Loates is best known for his portrayal of fish in their natural habitat. As an illustrator for the RSPB and Natural History publishers, he has a detailed knowledge of the anatomy, skeletal structure and behaviour of his subjects, and a finely honed ability to portray movement, light play and rhythm in water.

His preferred technique involves transparent watercolour with drybrush overglazes, without the use of white paint or body colour.

As well as holding two solo shows at the Malcolm Innes Gallery in London, exhibiting with The Society of Wildlife Artists, and contributing work to numerous wildlife and sporting volumes, Mick has illustrated 16 titles including Henry Williamson's classic Salar the Salmon (Webb & Bower, 1987), Tony Soper's Oceans of Birds (David & Charles, 1989), Brian Clarke's Trout Etcetera (A&C Black, 1996), and The Collins Guide to Fish of Britain & Europe (Harper Collins, 1997).

Among his influences, Mick cites Winslow Homer, John Singer Sergeant, Stanhope Forbes, selected Pre Raphaelites and, more recently, the work of Raymond Ching.

An avid sea swimmer and long distance walker, Mick's other passions include playing blues guitar and angling. He has travelled extensively to remote areas of Europe, the Ukraine, North Africa, California, the mid-Pacific, Singapore, New Zealand and the Nepalese Himalayas.

He currently lives & works from his home studio in Stokenham.

Rather than being fascinated by the creatures that live in water, Mick's son Tobie Loates is captivated by the water itself, those phenomenal ocean swells that travel for thousands of miles and reach up to 100', only to meet a shore or a reef and disperse their energy, never to be seen again. In his photography, Tobie's focus is on the finer details of the interaction between water and rock, looking for those unrepeatable patterns created from broken water and concealed and revealed rock, sometimes inevitably creating a more abstract composition. He finds that the first and last light of day offer the most dramatic atmosphere.

Tobie's love of surfing and his extensive travels through Europe, South East Asia, New Zealand and Hawaii have inspired him in his photography, and he has gained a BA (Hons) in Photo Media & Design Communication, as well as a professional qualification from the British Institute of Photography. He is currently the course leader for National Diploma Photography at Plymouth College of Art & Design, whilst continuing to practise as both a commercial and fine art photographer.

www.mickloates.co.uk

www.rodandfin.com

www.tobieloatesphotography.com