Biographical Information

Mick Cawston
British 1959-2006

Mick Cawston is considered one of the finest dog painters working in the world today. His work is comparable to that of John Emms or Maude Earl and he works equally well in oils, water colours or pastels.

Born in 1959 in Dagenham, Essex , he was educated at the Robert Clock comprehensive school and it was here that he won his first exhibition at the age of seven. 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 motor cycle messenger in London , earning himself enough money to spend a few months touring Europe .

Throughout all this time his passion for drawing grew stronger and on returning from Europe he spent six months sketching people’s children on the pavements of Covent Garden , in pastel at £3 a time. From here a London silversmith employed him to design silverware. However, interesting as this was, it was never Mick’s great passion and before very long he moved away from London and spent the next three years living in a small cottage on a farm in Burnham-on-Crouch and returned to selling his work on the streets, although this time his price had gone up to £18 a drawing.

Despite his price increase he could not make a living and as a result 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 this year he had his first two limited edition prints published after his work. He has never looked back and on the Summer of 2000 saw the publication of his 300th highly successful, limited edition print. This is not to mention the ninety plus images that have been reproduced as successful greetings cards and the dozen or so open edition prints, all after his work.

Cawston has been featured in Gundogs Magazine as one of the leading dog artists. More of his art appears in 'Countrymans Weekley','Sporting Gun' and 'Deerstalking Magazine'

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. Cawston has been voted four times in the Fine Art Trade Guild survey, as one of the top selling artist and finally winning this accolade in 1998.

His original paintings are widely collected and his pictures hang in collections in many countries, including Sweden, Australia, Kenya, Japan, America and, of course, England.