I have always been an artist by nature, I began painting in the mid sixties and was lucky enough to connect with Frederick T W Cook RWS and Jack Merriott RI PS RWS when they lived in Polperro.
I studied life drawing at the College in Plymouth where I met Ken Howard RA, Chris Deakin and Robert Lenkiewicz who had moved to Plymouth from London at that time. Shortly after leaving the Westcountry I studied with G John Blockley who really showed me a contemporary approach to painting. More recently still I have been very fortunate to study with Colin Hayes RA until his death in 2003 and whose wisdom, encouragement and influence has transformed my work.
Since then I have studied a curriculum of my own devising, central to which is the study of figurative art and, indeed, the cultivation of that sensitivity necessary for perception of beauty. I am still on that journey and learn something new almost every day.
I started my journey from the love of drawing, in particular, life drawing and portraiture. I am very taken with the drawings of the Renaissance masters right through to contemporary masters such as David Leffel and Sherrie McGraw of the Arts League in America. I find myself in total awe and respect of those who have made their own journey regardless of fame or fashion. When you find quiet humility closely allied to great creativity, dedication and hard work, it is so refreshing.