Drumroll For Painter Chris
Lancashire Life|September 2020
A former rock musician who toured with Bon Jovi and Black Sabbath is marching to a new beat as one of Lancashire’s up-and-coming young artists
Roger Borrell
Drumroll For Painter Chris

Chris Rivers once plied his art by beating the living daylights out of a drum kit. He travelled the world as part of a successful – and, no doubt, very noisy – band of musicians who supported tours by the likes of Bon Jovi, Status Quo and Black Sabbath.

Today, the soundtrack to his life is a much quieter one after swapping the crash, bang, wallop of the rock music industry for the more delicate rhythms of oil painting. He still listens to music when he paints but that is now just an echo of what he calls ‘a crazy period of my life’.

His pictures are striking in terms of size and content – they have been known to stop people in their tracks at art fairs – and his work can command prices of anything between £4,000 and £16,000. They adorn large walls in the US, Australia and Scandinavia as well as the UK.

At first glance, some of these big canvases might seem the place where abstract art meets Impressionism – swirls of pink rose petals caught in a whirlwind. But look closer and you may spot a tiny host of fluttering cherubs or an astronaut floating helplessly in space. Some can be a shade darker with tiny winged skeletons – unsettling but never quite macabre.

This story is from the September 2020 edition of Lancashire Life.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the September 2020 edition of Lancashire Life.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM LANCASHIRE LIFEView All
A Shopper's Paradise
Lancashire Life

A Shopper's Paradise

‘Anything is possible’ is the boast of a famous Knightsbridge shop and it could equally apply to Clitheroe, where shoppers come eager to pick up something just that little bit different, especially in the run-up to Christmas

time-read
6 mins  |
November 2020
Back from the brink?
Lancashire Life

Back from the brink?

There are signs hedgehog numbers might be recovering, and we can all do our bit to help them, says Alan Wright of Lancashire Wildlife Trust

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2020
Lancashire Life

Memories of a LANCASHIRE CHILDHOOD

Blackburn-born Sara Foster has had a string of bestsellers on the other side of the world. With her latest novel now out, she reflects on her Lancashire roots

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2020
The tale of BEATRIX'S VALLEY
Lancashire Life

The tale of BEATRIX'S VALLEY

Land once owned by Beatrix Potter is at the heart of a noisy row over how we enjoy the Lake District

time-read
6 mins  |
November 2020
Liverpool's pyramid scheme
Lancashire Life

Liverpool's pyramid scheme

We’ve seen the shape of things to come – and it’s a pyramid. But are you ready to spend the afterlife piled high with 34,591 other people in Toxteth?

time-read
5 mins  |
November 2020
Around the world in 2000 paintings
Lancashire Life

Around the world in 2000 paintings

Preston artist Martyn Hanks has spent 60 years globetrotting with his paints and brushes

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2020
WALKING THE BORDER
Lancashire Life

WALKING THE BORDER

This glorious walk in the hills around Earby takes a peek over the county line

time-read
7 mins  |
November 2020
We will remember them
Lancashire Life

We will remember them

For a hundred years the Cenotaph has been the focal point for a nation’s grief, but few know its connection to Kirkby Lonsdale

time-read
5 mins  |
November 2020
A pawfect day out
Lancashire Life

A pawfect day out

The grounds of Holker Hall at Cartmel are a favourite with human and canine visitors

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2020
A LEGACY of LOVE
Lancashire Life

A LEGACY of LOVE

An unusual war memorial in Lancaster is a haven for wildlife and young people from the city

time-read
4 mins  |
November 2020