Roy Callow began painting around fifty years ago, shortly after the birth of his first child. Growing up in East London, he was encouraged by a schoolteacher, Mr Olive, to look closely at the everyday world — the people, places, and small stories that surrounded him.
His first paintings often captured snow-covered London streets, their muted tones inspired by faded Victorian photographs and the sepia postcards he collected. The atmosphere of those old images, along with family memories and the history of the East End, has always shaped his subjects and palette.
A visit to the Whitechapel Gallery in the 1960s marked a major change in Roy’s artistic journey. Seeing early works by David Hockney and Louise Nevelson’s bold box constructions opened his eyes to new ways of thinking about form, structure, and materials.
Roy spent much of his working life as a decorator, a craft that gave him a deep understanding of surface, finish, and detail. These skills naturally found their way into his art. He continues to experiment with traditional glazes and varnishes, blending craftsmanship with a lifelong fascination for colour, texture, and history.
curious, still exploring, still learning. His work is driven by a genuine love of discovery and a quiet fascination with the world around him.
