Spike The ART
I’m Mike Hicks
I’m Mike Hicks, the artist behind Spike the Art, based in Plymouth, Devon. I’ve spent more than two decades surrounded by artists, artwork and people with stories to tell, and throughout that time I’ve never stopped drawing, learning and developing my own creative work.
Today, my artwork is increasingly inspired by history, place, people and the journeys that connect them. Living and working in Plymouth has given me a natural connection to the stories of the sea, exploration and departure that have shaped the city, but my interest extends wherever a story captures my imagination. I enjoy researching the details behind those stories and then interpreting them through drawing and artwork, creating pieces that hopefully make people stop, look a little closer and wonder about what happened before.
That experience has shaped the way I approach my own work today. I’ve learned to look beyond the obvious image and become interested in the details, stories and ideas that sit behind it. The artwork I create now is a continuation of that curiosity — a way of taking the things that capture my imagination and giving them a visual form of their own.
Research, Drawing & Interpretation
Every piece of artwork begins with an idea, but the finished work develops through a process of research, drawing and interpretation. Rather than simply reproducing an existing image or historical reference, I like to explore the story behind it — understanding the people, places and circumstances involved before deciding how that story can be expressed through artwork.
For me, the details matter. The composition, the atmosphere, the symbolism and the small elements that might otherwise be overlooked can all help give a piece its character. I want the finished artwork to feel considered and individual, while still leaving enough for the viewer to discover each time they look at it.
The result is artwork that isn’t simply an illustration of a historical event. It is my interpretation of the story behind it — shaped by the things I discover during the process and by the way I see the subject as an artist. Every piece is intended to have its own character, story and sense of place.
Research. Draw. Interpret. Create.
Every piece begins with something that captures my imagination — a story, a place, a person or a moment in history. From there, the process starts with research. I want to understand what happened, who was involved and what the world looked like at that particular moment before I begin putting ideas onto paper. The more I discover, the more the artwork begins to take shape.
Drawing is where those ideas start to become something tangible. I explore composition, imagery, typography, symbolism and the small details that can help tell the story without needing to explain everything in words. Some elements are historically recognisable, while others are my own interpretation, allowing the finished piece to sit somewhere between historical reference and original artwork. The final stage is bringing everything together into a finished work that feels like more than an illustration. I want the viewer to see the artwork first, then discover the story within it — and perhaps find something new each time they look at it.
History. Place. People. Stories.
Living and working in Plymouth naturally brings many of those stories close to home. The city’s relationship with the sea, exploration and departure provides an endless source of inspiration, from the Mayflower and the journeys across the Atlantic to the places and people connected with them. But the work isn’t limited to one period or one subject. Wherever history presents a story that captures my imagination, there is the possibility of turning that story into artwork.
I enjoy the process of discovering the details that can easily disappear with time. Old maps, documents, photographs, ships, architecture, symbols and fragments of written history can all become part of the research. Some of those details may eventually appear within the artwork itself, while others simply help me understand the world I am trying to recreate. The finished piece is my interpretation of that research — not simply a reproduction of something that already exists.
For me, that is where the most interesting part of creating artwork begins. History provides the story, research provides the detail and drawing provides the means of bringing it back to life. The aim is to create something that works as artwork first, but rewards anyone who takes the time to look a little closer and discover the story hidden within it.
Every Piece Has a Reason Behind It.
Every piece begins with an idea.
Sometimes it starts with a moment in history. Sometimes it’s a person, a place, a journey or simply an image that sparks an idea. Whatever the inspiration, I want the finished piece to be more than something that simply looks good — I want it to make you stop, look a little closer and wonder about the story behind it.
That’s why research, drawing and interpretation are such an important part of my work. I enjoy exploring the history behind an idea, finding the details that bring it to life and then deciding how those elements can be brought together as artwork.
For me, creating a piece is as much about the journey as the finished image. The research leads to the drawing, the drawing develops into the artwork, and somewhere along the way a story begins to take shape.
Every piece is created to stand on its own — but hopefully leaves you wanting to know a little more about what lies behind it.
Since 2004
Spike the Art began in 2004, and more than two decades later the name remains part of my creative journey. During those years I’ve been fortunate to work alongside some incredibly talented artists, watch people develop their own creative voices and spend a lifetime surrounded by artwork, ideas and stories.
Through all of it, I’ve never stopped drawing. The direction of my work may have changed, but that curiosity has never gone away. Today, I’m following the stories that interest me, creating artwork inspired by the history, people and places that continue to capture my imagination.
The name is Spike the Art. The place is Plymouth. The journey continues.