I have painted in oils since I was eleven years old. At the age of 13, on the Isle of Wight where I grew up, I had lessons from a brilliant artist come sign writer every Saturday for a year. We talked mostly about how things were and how to perceive them, only to paint what I see and not what I might think it is.

I have always been interested in figurative drawing and was influenced from an early age by fantasy comics illustrated by artists such as Boris Vallejo and Frank Frazetta while also drawing upon the classic artists such as Rembrandt, Turner and Dali for their techniques and sheer genius. This range of influences allows me to look at a scene and appreciate the many different ways it could be depicted and select from that which will best tell the tale.