John Picking Artist: From Shevington to Sicily
For many people in Wigan, the buildings, streets, and people of the borough have provided inspiration. Few artists, however, have taken those early influences as far as John Picking, a locally born painter whose work has been exhibited across many countries, yet whose artistic journey began among the fields and streets of his hometown.
Born in 1939, John Picking grew up in Wigan, living at Manor Avenue, Shevington. His artistic talent emerged at an early age. At just fourteen years old, he began experimenting with oil painting, spending Sundays exploring and painting the countryside around Wigan with a friend. Reflecting on those early days, Picking later admitted that his first attempts were far from successful.
“My efforts were terrible, but I was fired with enthusiasm.”
Wigan Cafe - 1957
That enthusiasm would prove to be the foundation of a remarkable career.
Wigan School of Art
At sixteen, Picking enrolled at the former Wigan School of Art, one of the town's most important cultural institutions. Initially, he struggled.
He recalled that his drawing was the weakest in his class, but rather than becoming discouraged, he attended extra classes every evening.
Sketching in Mesnes Park with friend Keith
His determination paid off. Within two years he had won the Intermediate Course Prize and began studying etching, a medium that would influence his later artistic development.
During his time at Wigan School of Art between 1956 and 1960, Picking gained a Diploma in Painting and Lithography, won the prestigious Governors' Medal and was awarded a scholarship to Paris.
These achievements marked him out as one of the most promising young artists to emerge from Wigan during the post-war period.
Edinburgh and the Struggle to Continue...
Following his success in Wigan, Picking entered the Painting School at the prestigious Edinburgh College of Art.
Life as a student was far from easy. His father could only afford to send him £2 a week, and Picking later recalled surviving for months on little more than “egg and chips.” Financial pressures became so severe that he informed the Principal that he would have to abandon his studies and return home to Wigan.
Then came an unexpected turn of fortune.
Shortly after his return, a letter arrived offering him an Andrew Grant Bursary that enabled him to complete his course. Further recognition followed in the form of a postgraduate scholarship and his own studio within the college. These awards eventually led to a travelling scholarship, allowing him to spend a year painting in Spain.
What had seemed the end of his artistic ambitions instead became the beginning of an international career.
Teaching and Professional Success
After further study at Goldsmiths' College School of Art in London between 1965 and 1966, Picking established himself both as a painter and educator.
Exhibition at Goldsmiths College
He lectured at several institutions, including Wigan School of Art, High Wycombe College of Art and Manchester Polytechnic. In 1973 he was elected a member of the Manchester Academy of Fine Arts, reflecting his growing reputation within British art circles.
His work was exhibited at leading galleries including the Mercury Gallery in London, the Scottish Gallery in Edinburgh and the Colin Jellicoe Gallery in Manchester.
His paintings also found their way into important public collections, including those of Edinburgh Corporation and Salford University.
Italy and Sicily
Although his roots remained firmly in Wigan, Picking increasingly found inspiration abroad.
Following travels through Europe, he settled for extended periods in Italy.
From 1974 to 1981 he worked extensively in Sicily, capturing the landscapes, traditions and people of the Mediterranean.
His fascination with peasant communities became a recurring theme throughout his work. Their daily lives, customs and relationship with the land provided rich subject matter and reflected his long-standing interest in ordinary working people.
During his years in Sicily, John Picking formed lasting personal, as well as, artistic ties with the island. In 1976 he married Maria, a native of Militello Rosmarino, where he had established his studio. Their daughter, Nadia, was born soon afterwards.
Although the family spent a short period back in England while John taught in Manchester, they returned permanently to Sicily in 1979, where Picking has continued to live and paint for more than four decades.
Since 1971, he has maintained a permanent studio in Sicily and, from 1980 onwards, worked as a full-time painter, dividing his time between Brescia in northern Italy and Sicily.
Wigan's Artistic Legacy
John Picking's story is one of talent, perseverance and determination. From a young man sketching the landscapes around Wigan, struggling to master drawing at art school, he became an internationally recognised artist whose work spans Britain, Spain, Italy and America.
John at one of his exhibitions
His career also highlights the important role once played by Wigan School of Art in nurturing local talent and providing opportunities for young people with creative ambition.
Although much of his later life has been spent abroad, John Picking remains one of Wigan's most accomplished artistic exports.
His journey from Shevington to Sicily demonstrates how local roots can inspire work that resonates far beyond the boundaries of the town where it began.
Michael Nelson 2026
Postcript
For those interested in learning more about the artist, the documentary Il Nostro John Picking provides an insight into his life and work. It includes interviews with his lovely parents, "proper Wiganers".
A selection of his work can be found on his Facebook page.