Simon Wellington Artist

Simon works from his home in Midsomer Norton near Bath. He was always keen to become an artist since he was a toddler.
The family business was F. Speed and Sons which specialised in building and decorating. The company was set up for the benefit of Arthur Speed, Simon’s Grandfather, who returned from the trenches of the First World War. Arthur was a talented artist who painted many of the Pub Signs in the area.
The signwriters’ workshop was Simon’s favourite port of call where he would sit and watch them mix their paints and breathe in the smells of linseed oil and turpentine. David Fisher, Terry Bridgeman and Bazil Axford have all passed through those workshops as apprentices and have become artists in their own right.
When Simon originally left School he was due to take up a place at Taunton Art College to do a Foundation year prior to a Teaching Degree in Art. He was lucky enough to be in The England Youth Football trials at the same time. The opportunity then arose to play Professional Football on a full time basis instead. In his free time he took a sign writing course at Bath Technical College.
Circumstances dictated that a year later he started to play part time football and carried on to take up a place at College on Wimbledon Common. This was part of London University studying for his Art teaching degree.
Once qualified he took up a post in a Show School in Southampton which was built to trial Middle School Education and Open Plan Classrooms. Neither experiment seemed to work but it did mean that as a new school it had all the best Art Teaching facilities and equipment possible.
Simon was promoted as head of Art of a failing School in a Council Area of Southampton and found that he was frustrated by the lethargy that permeated both staff and parents. He left after 5 years in the profession in the hope of making a living from art.
He was lucky enough to have a one man show in Covent Garden in London, a solo show at Solent University and pictures shown in exhibitions in places like Southampton Art Gallery and the Mall Galleries London.
Commissions alone could not provide for a young family so it soon became apparent that another source of income was required. The Manager of a Sunday team he played for asked if he could sign write shop front canopies and marker buoys for Yacht races. The Manager worked for a Company that provided Yacht coverings and various tailor made PVC supplies to the coastal industries. Simon ended up painting large inflatable buoys with ‘Champagne Mumm’ on them dozens of times. The P&O logo flag is also imprinted on his mind as that always accompanied any lettering that went with the PVC walkways and banners.
This was how he started Wellington Signs and Designs and helped fund his first Commercial Premises in Southampton. It was in the ‘Red Light’ district and turned out to be an ex Porn Shop! It was in the boom of the eighties and builders were hard to find. The shop was derelict and required major work and builders were like hens teeth.
A smartly dressed man turned up one day and offered him bricklayers, plasterers and tradesmen of all descriptions. He thought he must have been sent from heaven.
The tradesmen were excellent but work was slow as they only turned up in the mornings and wanted to be paid at lunchtimes. The penny dropped when one was seen comatose on a park bench near the shop. It transpired they were from the local St Dismas Centre which catered for recovering alcoholics.
In the last twenty five years the business has grown, employed staff and been variously located in Twickenham, Brighton, Southampton and Midsomer Norton. Only the latter two remain and due to good managers Simon is once again able to pursue his passion of painting.
He is working mainly in watercolour due to its immediacy as he likes to paint on site as much as possible. He will work in oil colour and any other media that suits but this is mainly on larger work.
His aim is to produce a series of very limited print runs of paintings that are affordable by all but hold their value due to how few he produces. Greeting Cards are also a way of getting his work more broadly recognised. He is now in a position to be able to fulfil his earlier ambitions.