I`m really a self taught artist. A Geordie lad, hailing from a small mining village called Pegswood in Northumberland, originally, from Polish parents. I now live in Stannington, Northumberland, where I’m enjoying all that retirement has to offer. My art education began in earnest when I started a Foundation course in Graphic Design at Newcastle College, it was here that I really developed most of everything I do today, live portraits sketching etc. I served in the Metropolitan Police in London where, after 30 years service, I finally retired in March 2009 as the senior Police Artist at New Scotland Yard. I`m now looking forward to at least a few good years exploring the art I have waited so long to do. My favourite medium is and always will be, is graphite pencil, as I can achieve a high degree of detail in my sketches, some say photographic. I also take great pleasure in drawing cartoons and caricatures of subjects in both colour pens or simply in black ink. In the past few months, I have started painting in colour using a selection of different mediums, acrylics, oils, watercolours, colour pencil and pastels. Of these, I have found that I enjoy using acrylic paint the most as it dries sufficiently fast enough for me to paint in the style I enjoy. This is probably due to the time constraints I had imposed on me during my employment as a Police artist, interviewing witnesses and victims of very serious crimes. I love going out for walks with my Siberian Husky, into the countryside around me and all over Northumberland, where I use my camera to capture reference material for use in my artwork. I am available for commissions, including portraiture, animals and also for one off caricatures, for hire to wedding receptions, parties, local schools, fun fairs and fetes etc.
Hello everyone, I’m Jan Szymczuk, a Northumberland based artist and author.
Alongside my artwork, I wrote a book called Gabriella, based on the true story of my mother’s life.
It begins in wartime Poland, where as a young girl she was taken from the streets by German soldiers and sent into forced labour. The story follows her journey through survival, loss, courage, and eventually the long road that brought her to a new life in England.
This is not fiction. It is a real family story, and writing it was one of the most emotional things I have ever done.
If you enjoy powerful true stories, wartime history, or books based on real lives, you may find Gabriella a very moving read.
📘 Gabriella is available on Amazon in paperback.
(You’ll find the link in the comments.)
Thank you for supporting my work, it genuinely means the world.
Hi Guys, Boris here again… Well I finally finished my Victorian era Matchstick Girl. This is an Victorian era police themed digital illustration of a Constable finding a matchstick girl in an alleyway on a winters evening. I used an old photo of my daughter Jasmine when she was four as a reference for the match girl. I digitally painted this in Procreate, this artwork took around 30 hours to complete over 5 days. Available as either a mounted print or framed print in two sizes from my web www.Jans-art.co.uk #byboris #borispoliceart #matchstickgirl #victorianconstable (at Jan's Art) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmKvTqyIAjZ/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
Hi guys, Boris here again! Well I finally finished this epic journey of painting, some would say of the greatest police car eve. The iconic and a really powerful set of wheels, the P6 Rover 3500s V8. This digital painting has taken me around 10-12 hours over four days to complete. I have added the usual accessories, metal first aid kit, the indispensable Road Craft for Police Drivers manual, leather bound log book, Met Flat Cap, old Warrant Card, Greater London Road Atlas, epaulettes with the bigger Division and numbers, (which can be personalised), a roll of Police Tape and the often cuff rolled up leather driving gloves. This artwork is now available from my web at www.jans-art.co.uk as either a mounted or a frame print in two sizes, 12” x 10” and 20” x 16” and the epaulettes can be personalised. #byboris #borispoliceart #metpoliceuk #p6rover3500v8 #digitalart (at Jan's Art) https://www.instagram.com/p/CkrNv3Brmgb/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
WIP (work in progress) on Cracker actor Robbie Coltrane, still loads to do. Watch this space…. #jansart #cracker #robbiecoltrane (at Jan's Art) https://www.instagram.com/p/CkELKPtLbmi/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
I decided to rework the background and foreground scene to show more of the snow laden trees on my Winter Tiger II #wintertigerii #digitalart #procreate (at Jan's Art) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cjc3x6Qsogl/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
Hi guys, Boris here again, that happy accident who was the Senior Police Artist in C11/SO11 based at NSY, thought I’d show you all a wee doodle I created last night, which I added to a recent PCC (Personalised Custom Combo) I painted and compiled for a soon to be mega famous crime writer and ex Met DCI, Jackie Malton, who, (unknown wee tippet of job info) apparently, was the only female officer at the Rotherhithe and later the Tower Bridge Flying Squad offices, her call sign was Central 884. Her new book is out now The Real Prime Suspect. She was on BBC Breakfast on Friday and again on with Lorraine Kelly on Monday ITV between 9am -10am. #byboris #borispoliceart #flyingsquad #therealprimesuspect #jackiemalton #flyingsquadbadge (at Jan's Art) https://www.instagram.com/p/Chhg20hsV74/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
Finally finished my SO13 Anti-Terrorist Squad montage featuring that indispensable piece of surveillance equipment, the Nikon FM2. Available as a mounted or framed print in two sizes 12” x 10” and 20” x 16” from my web www.Jans-Art.co.uk (at Jan's Art) https://www.instagram.com/p/CfopG9Msr_V/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
Hi Boris, that happy accident that was the Senior police artist in SO11 at NSY here again, I got to thinking that I have sketched some great patches recently, but back in the day, before patches were even a thing, I got to thinking that maybe The Traffic Division should have one of their own so I used an old shield design and created a few variations patches just for them! What do you reckon, to much? They do make for a wonderful combo though… #byboris #borispoliceart #trafficpatch #trafficcustomcombo (at Jan's Art) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cfeyt-erOSp/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
Hi guys! Boris here again, well I finished the Honda ST1100 Pan European and also sketched a BMW System 7 Helmet which I later learned was the correct era helmet for this Met Bike and not the older open faced helmet I initially plonked on the bike, I’ll save that helmet for the R80 drawing I am planning to do. Thanks for watching. #byboris #borispoliceart #metpoliceuk #hondast1100paneuropean #bmwsystem7helmet #digitalart (at Jan's Art) https://www.instagram.com/p/CeorDhRLYdd/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
Boris here again, no more cowboy guns, or Met headwear, just a straight forward By Boris request, still loads to do and needs colours added, but I now have all the elements in place to begin doing some serious colouring this weekend. Love recreating Met furniture and office themes from my cluttered memories!Watch this space… #byboris #borispoliceart #metpoliceuk (at Jan's Art) https://www.instagram.com/p/CdgSSxrMp-n/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
Hi Boris here, that happy accident, who once upon a time was the Senior police artist in SO11 back in the day when we had enough buildings for every Dept, here again. Firstly I like to say a huge heartfelt big Geordie thank you to all those retired and still serving officers who have taken valuable time out from their daily lives to send me just awesome reference photos (I now have enough photos of hats, weapons and associated accoutrements to be the reason for stalling any future convoy that Putin may decide to start on our mainland shores). The Last illustration featuring the RaSP Patch, Flat Cap, Glock 17 and Foam Nerf bullets was one of the many humorous By Boris anecdotes I sometimes like drawing, no offence intended, honest! So to rectify this I have now replaced foam bullets with real shells (those funny looking ones that look like the ends were hit with a hammer) and added two new patches to my Police collection SO6, SO16 and RaSP). For all you older retired gentlemen from the DPG and other Mercenary for hire units out there, who keep asking me, yes, (I’m an artist and not really a gun person) but I will draw that Cowboy gun you used carry, (the Smith & Western thingy complete with silver Vampire killing shells), in fact I’m starting it we speak. You can find all my police doodles scribblings and hilarious art on my web at www.jans-art.co.uk Watch this space and as always stay safe. #byboris #borispoliceart #metpoliceuk #SO6 #SO16 #RaSP #metpatches #glock17 https://www.instagram.com/p/CdIdxJVMkzq/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
Hi Boris here, that happy accident that was the Senior Met Police Artist in SO11 back in the day, I thought that as Her Majesty has certain celebrations pending, I decided to join in the party mood and decided to sketch those unsung heroes whose purpose is to stand as pillars of impenetrable shields between her Majesty and her squabbling offsprings and attached retinue, what I knew as SO14 and who now, the reason for which escapes me, are named after an old carpenters tool, this is my take on the RaSP. I was going to have some ammo lying down in the foreground, but knowing nothing of guns and shells unless you count that foray during the Miners Picnic Hoppings in 1975, where I won a goldfish on the air rifle range (sadly “Goldie” has since, many year ago, took his last dive down our porcelain throne, I really loved him too). Sorry I digress, old age does this to you, I did not know what type of shells, or calibre size or gunpowder this particular firearm uses (I have been reliably been informed is a Glock 17 made in Austria apparently) so being only an artist with limited knowledge beyond my pay grade, I improvised… Thank you for watching the meanderings of a retired artistic sole. #byboris #borispoliceart #metpoliceuk #digitalart ##so14 #rasp (at Jan's Art) https://www.instagram.com/p/CdGrgg2L9jw/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
Hi folks, Boris here again, my kids went for a walk today to see some local horses in a nearby field to us and it got me thinking, I hadn’t sketched any headwear of our men and woman on horseback, so today I decided to rectify this gross error and give these knights on horseback some recognition. So here is my sketch of a Met Mounted Branch Helmet. Thank you for watching. #byboris #borispoliceart #metpoliceuk #mountedbranchhelmet #digitalart (at Jan's Art) https://www.instagram.com/p/CdCB6SYs4I3/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
