Having won a Bursary Award from Hertfordshire County Council, I was accepted by Harrow School of Art for the Drawing and Painting course headed by Sanders RA.
The course was a thorough grounding in drawing, print making and painting. We were trained in multiple mediums, including Oil, Water colour, pen work, pastels, silkscreen printing, etching and lithography.
This was good preparation for the career I chose as an Artist /Illustrator. I could turn my hand to any work that came along. My first job was with an advertising agency as a visualiser.
I soon tired of the in house work and became a freelance illustrator, book jackets and magazines.
Influenced by the work of Sanders RA, especially the oil paintings of his garden, I began to paint in oil
I was offered a one man show at Liberty's in Regent St London. It sold well and I found a ready market. This was followed by a show at Heals Art Gallery.
During this period I held teaching posts as art master at Rickmansworth Grammar and Lockers Park Prep schools. The latter located close to the Grand Union Canal.
I became inspired by the Waterways, the wonderfully colourful boats and the tranquillity.
Pastels, Watercolours, oil paintings seemed to just flow.
I purchased a boat, and would hang paintings on the cabin side. This proved popular.
I had the good fortune to meet my wife at that time, we worked together to build a successful floating art gallery. It became permanently moored at Little Venice for the next 28 years and was on occasion a meeting place for the Pastel Society.
I was elected as a member in 1990.
Water Stories
https://youtu.be/1XtfACC5pj4
Working with dancers of the Royal Ballet I was privileged to draw from both the wings of the Opera House and the classrooms at White Lodge. A number of works undertaken by commission for the Linbury Trust hang in the Saddlers Wells Theatre.
My last teaching post was at Hampstead School of Art which I enjoyed enormously.
India and Sathya Sai Baba
A new chapter began in 1999. On my second visit to Southern India, I was invited to illustrate The Life and Work of Sathya Sai Baba.
Many of the Paintings and Illustrations are displayed in the Chaitanya Jyoti Museum, Puttaparthi, where I am resident artist for several months of the year. A work in progress!
http://chaitanyajyotimuseum.com
This year my subject has been the Wiltshire landscape. The studies are oil pastel based and will be shown at the 2019 annual exhibition.
Royal Miniature Society
The Hilliard Society
Pastel Society
Frank Herring
Manya Igel
Royal West of England Academy
Royal Society of Marine Artist
Royal Portrait Society
RI
Liberty London
Heals London
General Motors Venezuela / Mexico
Woodlands Houston USA
India Chaitanya Jyoti Museum