Welcome to Artbeat64, the home of Rock 'n' Roll art.

I am the artist, Simon Pritchard, I was born in 1968 in the West Midlands (UK) but moved to Norwich to live with my partner Susie in 1991. I have been interested in art since childhood, and have made it my full time occupation since 2000 (after realising that being employed by someone else was not for me!)

 I wanted to apply my passions for 1950s and 1960s Rock 'n' Roll music and culture to my work as an artist, thus Artbeat64 was born.

My work is varied, covering everything from large original paintings on canvas, to framed pieces, to prints and greetings cards. I can also produce artwork for bands, having already designed CD covers and backdrops for local musicians, which I really enjoy as it combines my interests in music and art. I work in various media, but tend to favour bold coloured acrylic on canvas.

One of the major outlets for my work is exhibiting in local galleries and theatres (where I can tie in my work with specific musical events and concerts), as well as displaying my wares at various Rock 'n' Roll events. I am currently proud of the fact that for the last 3 years I have been able to hold solo exhibitions at the Liverpool Academy of Arts, on the subject of Merseybeat and Rock 'n' Roll in general. These have been attended by many Liverpool musicians of the '50s and '60s, including Albie Wycherley, brother of British Rock 'n' Roll icon Billy Fury, who performed himself in the '60s as Jason Eddie.

I now have my own Ebay shop up and running which has given me the opportunity to present and sell my work to people all over the world. Please take a look at my shop, and you can Email me at artbeat64@ntlworld.com for more information.

As  mentioned, my main interests in life primarily centre around music from the 1950s and 1960s - I kicked off getting into Rock 'n' Roll as a kid, becoming a huge fan of Elvis Presley, and then discovering other great Rock 'n' Roll stars like Gene Vincent, Johnny Burnette, Jerry Lee Lewis etc. Over the years my tastes have developed and moved on in all directions and I now collect and listen to anything from big band Sinatra to Johnny Cash, from country blues to Memphis Soul, from '60s garage to '70s punk and a lot more! Susie shares my love for and interest in music and a great deal of our spare time and money is spent on attending various gigs and festivals.

I've always been interested in 1950s and 1960s style which I apply to my tastes in clothing, the car I drive and the environment I like to live in. I currently drive a 1963 Vauxhall Victor, and previously owned a 1960 Hillman Minx (for many years!) and a 1954 Ford Consul. All vehicles from a period when style was important. We furnish our home with any items from the late '40s to the '60s that we feel are stylish, colourful and interesting - we don't try to live in a particular period but rather try to combine all the best bits of the past with the best things from today!

Of course I enjoy classic movies from the 1940s Film Noir to 1950s Sci-Fi and teen movies, but my main passion is for cult horror movies from the '70s and '80s including slasher movies, Zombie flicks, and violent Italian murder thrillers. I also produce work relating to this interest such as images based around iconic characters like Jason Voorhees and Leatherface which can be found in my shop alongside Elvis and The Beatles!