SketchMCR

So, we are here today at the new Cheers and Smith building at Stopford Park and you’re doing some painting outside, tell us all about who you are and what you do.

“Hi, I’m Ben Rock, aka SketchMCR on social media. I am outside Stopford Park ready for art battle tonight painting the venue which will be auctioned off later today on stage. This piece will be auctioned off with 50% going to charity and 50 % going to myself. It’s an oil painting on wood, and it’s eleven by three, so it’s quite a small painting. It’s all going on here, out in the rain.”

You’re so often outside in the rain. Tell us a little bit about who you are, how you came to be doing paintings outside buildings and where the journey with art started for you?

“Well, the artist journey started for me first in Manchester 10 years ago, where my mum actually bought me a sketchbook, because my mum’s also an artist. She bought me this sketchbook and pushed me to start sketching in Manchester, and that’s where SketchMCR begun. Doing sketches of pubs and restaurants. And then during lockdown, I had the confidence to push myself to do other paintings of architecture and buildings. Then after lockdown, I got an easel, and I was painting in the streets, now I have a studio and it’s going really well. So, yeah, I love architecture and I love buildings.”

Tell us how you went from doing your sketches of Manchester pubs to then painting in a studio with commission for works like this?

“It’s been a hard graft. You always need to be on it. I mean, I’ve got loads of murals now in Manchester, especially outside of Old Trafford and I’m even working towards one in Argentina. But you’ve just always got to be creative and have to try to keep yourself in that creative mindset. It’s hard as an artist sometimes, but if you are always testing that creative mindset, you need to really push yourself. Just try to do as much as you can with what you love, really.”

So, you’re a Bristolian first. What brought you to the Northwest? 

“I’m actually also a chef. What brought me up here was Manchester House. I used to work in Manchester House with Aiden Byrne. So born in Bristol, grew up in Plymouth in the southwest. Most people wouldn’t really recognise me as a Bristolian, more so of Plymouth, aka a Janner. But, yes, that’s what got me up here originally. Although, I think what really got me up here is Oasis, from 2005 when I came up here to watch them at the Etihad. I just loved the energy of Manchester, and back then I thought, maybe one day I’m going to move up here, and here I am!”

Do you feel as though the region supports the Arts? Does it create opportunities for it? 

“Yeah, massively. I know a lot of people in other cities that are really jealous of Manchester in that sense, because there’s so many different creative events and so many supportive artists. It doesn’t matter what sort of field you’re in; it’s a really massive creative industry in Manchester. I mean, during the ’90s, it was always to do with music, but I reckon that’s probably not so much anymore. It’s definitely to do with all different artists and all different types of creativity..”

What’s your favourite stuff to do then these days? You started with the sketches, and you now do painted pieces of wood. Is that your niche?

“Yeah, I would say so. I love the texture on wood more so than canvas, and it also dries quicker as well. But then I do love oils, I love playing around with oils. My palate is a bit of a mess, to be honest with you. It should be much neater, especially when compared to other famous oil painters, but that’s kind of the way I paint, really. So yeah, I like to find different colours as you go along rather than the usual mix of colours that you would normally paint on an artistic sort of palette.”

In terms of Stockport, is this your first time painting Stockport? Did you get into the town much?

“I’ve done Basque. I’ve done the old Debenhams Store. I’ve done the old car park, which I think has been knocked down, I think, I’m not sure. I was at Art Battle as well. I’ve done loads of stuff, but I can’t remember it all. It’s hard to remember them all. SK1 records, is it? I’ve done them in the past.

“A lot of my followers want me to come to Stockport more often, but I tend to work on a lot of commission-based projects these days. So, if you want me to be here, I kind of need you to get me to be here rather than me coming out to just paint for the fun of it.”

You’ve grown quite an audience of followers over the last few years on Instagram. How has social media helped you in your career? 

“Social media has helped me massively actually. At the beginning, I didn’t really realise what Manchester was about in terms of social media; down south it’s not quite like that. But social media itself has really helped me to get my sales and my commissions. Also, it’s helped connecting with artists all around the world as well and with fans of my work. I love social media and I don’t know if I could work as I am without it, personally.”

Speaking of fans around the world, you’ve got an exciting project in the pipeline. Can you tell us a little bit about that? 

“So, I will be doing a mural outside of the River Plate Stadium with three other artists in a celebration of Oasis because the last time Oasis played at the River Plate Stadium was 16 years ago. It is a really big celebration for Argentinians, and I will be personally painting River Plate Stadium with 50,000 fans walking into the concert and yeah, it’s going to be iconic. It’s going to be history. That’s the way I look at it. It’s going to be history in the making…”

That must be special for you. To come into a city as an Oasis fan for the first time and connect with it as an Oasis fan, to now effectively having opportunities to travel the world as an Oasis fan doing what you love?

Yeah, it’s a bit special. The actual idea came three years ago when I painted King Tut’s in Glasgow, and it’s crazy to think now I’m going to actually be in Buenos Aires watching Oasis whilst also painting fans around Oasis. To be honest, I can’t really get my head around it, it’s all gone a bit mad. It’s quite amazing really.

You touched on how commissions are the key to supporting your lifestyle, allowing you to carry on painting. Is that the case? How do you go about getting commissions and what have you done to do so? 

“Commissions are mostly landscapes, urban landscapes, pubs, and restaurants. Mainly, the commissions I do are when people will have a first date or a place that they really love, like for example, Salford Lad’s Club. I’ve painted that God knows how many times for commissions. I reckon 16, 20 times maybe. And Black Friars, I’ve done three or four times. Peveril or the Peak, I’ve done a few times. 

It’s places where people genuinely love to go, you know. But also, everybody loves the skyline as well, because these days if you live in Deansgate Towers or something similar, you really love your view out of your window. So, lot of people have commissioned me to do skylines in Manchester as well. But yeah, that’s normally my sort of commissions. Or I do commission bases where you paint live at events. So yeah, it varies as well.”

Obviously, you’re based in Manchester and you’ve grown your heartland here really, haven’t you? Do you get stopped in the street now? What’s it like having a profile in the Northwest? 

“I do get stopped in the street. It’s quite funny, actually. I sometimes get stopped when I’m in London as well, like in Soho. I get Mancunian’s recognising me, and other people recognising me. But I never get called Ben anymore. It’s always Sketch and I quite like that to be honest with you. Because I’ve created that and yeah, I am SketchMCR and it’s quite a nice brand name. It’s nice to be shouted ‘Sketch’ when you’re walking down the street in Manchester, you know?” 

For people from the outside looking in, who maybe have a passion for art, but haven’t put pen to paper, what would be the three tips that you’d give them for going out there and getting on with it? 

“If you have a dream, I’m a big believer in manifestation. If you believe in something, just go for it and that dream will come. It takes a lot of hard work and a lot of patience. But I believe if you’ve got that sort of dream, it will come. Secondly, I would say, push those boundaries. If you’re scared of using oils, there are a lot of artists out there that only use pencil. I’ve met a really famous pencil artist last week in Manchester and she’s only ever used pencil. And I said to her, you need to try oils now? And she said, maybe you can teach me. So, who knows? But it’s just, it’s about pushing those boundaries. Thirdly, I would say painting live at art battles changed me as an artist. Being on stage of 500 people, yes, it’s nerve-wracking, yes, it’s out of your comfort zone, but if you really want it as an artist and you want to be big, it changes every part of your mindset. It gives you the confidence to push to do more. I would say definitely join in an art battle.”

Art Battle is going on in that building just opposite us right now and you’ve had a little look around already, haven’t you? Tell me a bit about the building itself, how it’ll count in the art battle and what you think of the space in general? 

“The space is really nice. The building actually reminds me a little bit of Victoria Baths. It’s got the same sort of architecture. And the inside is very similar to Victoria Baths as well. Maybe it’s around the same sort of time, I’m not too sure. But the aesthetics on the inside are absolutely beautiful, so as the stage is a setting now, I can see it’s going to be a really good night and a really good atmosphere. I’m looking forward to it.”