Oil painter to mentor students and feature on mural at Daventry Campus of Northampton College

Michael Piper will join students, staff and local businessess in creating the art piece which will consist of hundreds of individually designed tiles.

The mural will be unveiled later this year and while visiting the campus Michael took the opportunity to spend time with art students, offering career and technique advice.

“The hardest thing is starting off, particularly when you’re young,” said Michael. “My advice is to exhibit anywhere but send your work first and let that do the talking. Don’t just stick to Northamptonshire, places like London and Brighton have really good galleries.

“Getting work into homes is more important than displaying it in galleries because that’s where the money is. Try displaying your work in offices too and get it seen by as many people as possible.

“The important thing is, don’t hold back. Aim to be the best, stick with it and be committed, it’s easy to get lost along the way. Don’t copy other people’s work either, you can do that on a computer.”

Michael has pledged to continue supporting students at the new Daventry Campus through mentoring and running workshops.