This website displays the works of a Manchester based artist known to many as Mistachesta.  Born with a tendency of mancinism, he quickly developed skills in drawing and painting like many other artists with this proclivity, which is governed by the dominance of the right hemisphere of the brain. 

The name 'mistachesta' was  adopted some years ago and had evolved through a number of variances of his real name which is Colin Clarke.  Initially his friends thought it appropriate to call him Col-chester, which was soon shortened to Chester.  Then Mr Chester was favoured; and in the interests of aesthetic frippery the spelling was altered to how it appears today. 

After completing A Levels in Art at St. Cuthbert's RC High School he pursued further education in Audio Engineering and Sound Reproduction Techniques at SSR in Manchester, qualifying as a sound engineer in 1999. 

The urge to further his studies in creative arts led him to Hopwood Hall College in Rochdale where he undertook a foundation in Art and Design.  As a result of his commitments to the course and the quality of the work he produced, he was rewarded with an accredited place on the Visual Art programme at the University of Salford.  He graduated in 2003 with a 2:1 BA (Hons) in Visual Art.  During the first year of his degree, Colin had added a solo exhibition to his experiences where he displayed ten paintings, wall sculptures and wood carvings.  The majority of these works were purchased on the opening night and Colin was commissioned for further works.

"I'm not really in it for the money", Colin adds, "but it does help!  I am grateful to those who have supported me and enjoyed my work enough to part with their cash, but I would still continue to make paintings even if there were no buyers."