Artists > Frank Porthouse
Frank is primarily a draughtsman, living and working in Bedfordshire as a Director of the Project Design Studio, an award winning architectural practice based in Woburn, where a number of projects have been completed, including the Orangery for the Woburn Coffee House, the Almshouses to the rear of Souster’s and the contemporary house, 1 Duck Lane.
His career has provided the base for an artistic output which allows for a freer form of expression beyond the restriction of regulation and constraint. The core of his artwork is the built environment, a study of traditional urban scenes and how differing forms meld to create a familiar identity. Beyond architecture he has a fascination for movement, particularly in sport where the challenge, as always, is to depict action within a 2d image.
Materials used are primarily pencil, ink and watercolour on paper and more recently using an i-Pad to produce digital renderings of scanned artwork.
Architecturally, work has centred around the Home Counties but also covers the wider UK and occasional forays internationally. Whilst the range has been predominantly private housing it also includes master-planning of urban expansions, industrial estates and urban art. The Market Cross, Priory Park gates and Grove Park Performance Area are a trilogy of public art projects in Dunstable. Work in Conservation Areas and on Listed Buildings are a speciality.
