Nicholas Stephen Phillips (1948 - )

Nicholas Stephen Phillips was born on 18th February 1948 in London, England.  He was the fourth child of Harry Raines Phillips, a Sculptor, and Kathleen Phillips, a Painter. Also descended from the 18-19th Century Landscape Painter Giles Firman Phillips. He became particularly interested in Landscape painting whilst working in the Conservation Department at Leeds City Art Gallery and Temple Newsam House in the early 1970’s.

He learnt how to paint by studying the works of J.M.W. Turner, John Atkinson Grimshaw, James McNeil Whistler, and the German Painter Casper Friedrich. All of these Artists have greatly influenced him. His early work is mainly in oils, from the 1970’s to the mid 1990’s. Most of these pictures are of the Leeds vicinity in West Yorkshire, where Phillips lived from 1951 - 1990.

In the mid 1980’s, Phillips’ other career as a “Blues” singer and guitarist took off, with him turning professional in 1986 as a solo artist under the name “Steve Phillips”.This period culminated with him forming a band with Mark Knopfler of “Dire Straits” fame, titled “The Notting Hillbillies”. This band is still in existence but only performing on special occasions.

Since 1990, Phillips has resided in the Robin Hood’s Bay area of North Yorkshire, where he has developed his pastel painting technique and still performs in the UK and Europe on his guitar singing the blues.