Alex Vann was born in Essex in 1969. His family moved to the West Midlands when Alex was a small boy. He comes from a family of artists and studied graphic design at Wolverhampton University, graduating with a First Class Honours degree in 1996. He now lives in Wolverhampton.   Finding it difficult to find a full time job in graphics after graduating, Alex set up his own Prince’s Business Trust supported company called ‘Trained Eye Design’ sourcing his own graphic design and illustration clients including Marks and Spencers, the Forestry Commission and Jaguar Cars. Throughout this time Alex continued to do drawings and paintings for individuals.   Also around this time Alex wrote and, with the help of an Arts Council grant, self published a children’s book called ‘Joseph The Useful Cardboard Box’.  Alex started an arts group called ‘Real Arts Workshops’ with other professional artists, musicians and educators and traveled to primary schools and festivals in the Midlands and beyond telling the story of ‘Joseph The Cardboard Box’ and creating large scale sculptures from cardboard and other recycled materials. Real Arts Workshops (RAW) became a supplier of the ‘Joseph’ books to Waterstones bookshops and featured in the Times Educational Supplement.   Alex went on to work as studio manager at a design consultancy in Birmingham then as in-house designer at finance company ‘Purpleloans’. This company became a sponsor of Wolverhampton Wanderers football club and Alex was tasked with designing huge Purpleloans branded signage at the iconic Molineux ground. He now works in a marketing and promotions role at a school in Wolverhampton.   Alex’s drawings are almost photo-realistic with a high degree of detail, his watercolours having a ‘looser’ feel, and over the years he has produced hundreds of drawings and paintings of almost every subject for satisfied customers.   Alex exhibits his work under the title “DRAWN TO THE BEAT” to reflect his interest in both art and music, some of his first drawings being of the members of ‘The Beatles’ (another passion). The earliest drawing in the show dates from 1987. Alex is also a song writer and multi instrumentalist, performing in bands and as a solo artist since 1985. He has written and self produced several albums and shared the stage with many famous acts including Paul Young. Alex is a user of British Sign Language and one of his songs, entitled ‘Two Worlds’, features British Sign Language in the accompanying video which has been shown at film festivals in the UK, Canada, US and Hong Kong.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rpcv9p4xOzI Alex works full time in education and regularly undertakes commissions in his spare time. Visit his website: http://www.alexvann.net/