Ever since his birth in 1959, Nick Potter has been obsessed with drawing. Potter’s favorite book as a child was The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling, and he would spend hours painstakingly recreating the intricate pen-and-ink illustrations. His reputation as an artist followed him to school; at age six, his teacher asked him to “draw some jungle animals” during an assembly, and he created a vibrant world of wildlife. Potter then pursued art in secondary school, earning an A on his A-level art courses. However, instead of going to art school, Potter was convinced to attend Leicester University to earn “proper qualifications.”

Potter’s love of painting was rekindled when his family moved to the picturesque village of Great Bowden. The stunning landscape, and his many trips to Cornwall, Scotland, prompted Potter to start painting landscapes. Unfortunately, Potter was not pleased with his watercolor style, and it was not until he discovered silk paints that he really began to develop his own style. While living in Derbyshire, his partner Natasha created a company called “Altered Images,” which sells Potter’s paintings to cards to boutiques. In 2003, Potter’s dream came true when he opened his own gallery, Charisma Gallery, in Matlock, Derbyshire.