Member since Saturday 6th Aug, 2016
Born 1950 just off the Portobello Road, West London. After leaving school in Carshalton he joined the Civil Service as a trainee cartographer. In 1973 he got married & went to the drawing office at Shell Expro, eventually becoming chief draughtsman for Shell Coal then transferring to the office design department. Leaving in 1998 to continue office design at the BBC.
He has always had an interest in drawing from an early age. A brief part time period at Sutton Art College (now sadly no longer there). The usual interests in sports & further education prevented him much opportunity to develop his artistic skills.
It wasn’t until about 1980, when the decorating was completed & his two sons were old enough to entertain themselves did he seek to return to his great love of drawing & painting.
Fundamental skills in watercolour were learnt at the Epsom Further Education Centre over 6 Saturday mornings & from that he is largely self taught. He & his family enjoy travelling which has given him considerable source material for his wide-ranging pictures.
His enthusiasm to help others to enjoy the delights of drawing & painting, ranging from the very young to the more mature pupils led them to establish some basic classes. A member of the Society of All Artists & The Molesey Art Society he has had successes at their exhibitions. He has had considerable success with exhibitions held on his own with many of his works going abroad from Australia to the USA and many European countries. He was commissioned to provide five pictures for the cultural centre in Nagasaki, Japan.
His love of drawing & painting is infectious. He always has his pencil & pad readily to hand & will convince you that you can draw albeit with practice. His first love is architectural/coastal subjects but an interest in landscape will get him reaching for the paint palette. For many years his drawing has extended to caricatures, coupled with a sense of humour, some delightful birthday/leaving cards have been the result.
