I was born in Taunton in Somerset in 1940 but lived and worked in suburban London during my early life. In 1980 I moved to a shepherds’ cottage in a remote part of Exmoor National Park at Brendon near Lynton and that is when my professional career as an artist began. I attended the art group at Brendon, tutored by Mrs. Suzanne Bailey (who studied at Norwich School of Art) and very soon I was painting landscapes which sold at the group’s annual exhibitions in Brendon Village Hall.

I soon branched out and began setting up my own one-man exhibitions, firstly in Barbrook Church hall, and subsequently at North Devon Yacht Club in aid of R.N.L.I. ( now in its twenty-sixth year). Other venues included The Commodore Hotel , (Instow), Saunton Sands Hotel, and The Burton Art Gallery and Museum with Westward Ho! and Bideford Art Society. During this time my subjects were mainly moorland and wildlife portrayals.

Maritime Art

In 1993 I moved to Appledore, near Bideford North Devon and because of a lifetime love of the sea and old sailing ships I began painting these. I soon established myself as a leading maritime painter in this area, specialising in the working sail of the Taw/Torridge estuary during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Over the years many ships sought shelter from Atlantic storms in the estuary and they had often sustained damage that led to the establishment of ship repairing on several sites along the sheltered western foreshore of the Torridge between Appledore and Bideford. The large tidal range enables sea going ships to be beached at high water so that their wooden hulls could be cleaned and repaired during the following period of low tide. There are many old photos available showing the wooden sailing ships and I have made use of these in many of my paintings as well as those of smaller craft today that have been moored in the estuary.

I have also had the opportunity to paint the last remaining wooden hull three masted top sail schooner Kathleen and May, currently moored at Bideford. The schooner was launched in April 1900 and as recently as 2008 was charteredby the Compagnie de Transport Maritime à la Voile (CTMV), a shipping company established in France to specialise in merchant sailing.

Figure and Life Drawings

I work mostly with watercolour, but I also employ charcoal and pencil to produce tasteful nudes and semi-nudes. Commissions are regularly taken for portraits, both human and animal, and most other subjects. I work with live models, but sometimes for convenience, I use photography in order to produce finer studies. Models may contact me, if they wish to add a painting, a drawing to their portfolio, or perhaps to purchase an original painting/drawing.

Limited edition reproductions of my work are available and in some cases a signed artist's proof is offered in part-payment for suitable shots which I can use for future works. I am very flexible. For example, some overseas models who have expressed an interest in a painting of themselves, and so I am prepared to work from a selection of suitable photographs, either from their ports (assuming that the photographer has given the appropriate permission for them to be used for this purpose), or from their own personal collections.

Teaching

I now teach watercolours and life-drawing, (up to six sessions per week), and exhibit regularly in the North Devon area. I regulary teach art classes at North Devon Yacht Club and have taught all day workshops at Bude Art Society and elsewhere. I hold regular life-drawing workshops in my small garden-studio.

Exibitions

I am a a member of the Westward Ho! & Bideford Art Society and a regular exhibitor at their annual show in July at the Burton Gallery.

Music

My other interests include music, and I am a keen member of the local folk-orientated scene, singing and playing guitar at various venues, including the pubs in Appledore, Bideford Folk Festival 2009, fund-raising concerts etc;

With three friends, I play in a casual group known as 'Wing and a Prayer', and I often perform songs such as those by Steve Knightley of the band 'Show of Hands'. Again, the group are often requested to take part in local charity fund-raising events/concerts.