I grew up in Tavistock before spending 20 years living in Newcastle Upon Tyne and then came back to the South West 10 years ago, now living in St Germans in Cornwall. Tavistock still remains one of my favourite places, but being in Newcastle for early adulthood was brilliant and it is one of the greatest cities in the world- that’s why I stayed there for so long! After school, I trained at South Devon College in Torquay under the abstract Cornish artist John Chambers and wanted to get into sculpture as I was heavily influenced by Giacometti and Gormley. However, a change of direction mainly due to a potential rugby playing career took me up to the North East where I studied at both Newcastle and Northumbria Universities… but not in the arts…. Portrait of Andy – soft pastels on paper…I love his expression in this one.

As a career in business progressed, I always continued to draw and sketch as I travelled, mainly in pen and wash. I’ve worked in many sectors including music and the arts, and oil and gas so travelled a lot. As I travelled I did quick watercolour and pen sketches on black postcards and sent them to friends rather than the usual postcards! As time went on, I got back into painting seascapes and landscapes in oils and more recently portraits in pastels. There is so much to paint in the South West and I love going up on Dartmoor, or painting from my boat pottering on the Tamar.

St Germans Viaduct, watercolour. A lovely scene from any angle and sometimes has spectacular light.

I am also fascinated by ‘pub life’- a myriad of life and expressions to sketch are in pubs and I’m lucky to still have two good ones in and around the village. At the moment, I’m really enjoying using charcoal and pastels and have recently completed a project at my local pub carrying out portraits of many of the locals which are now up on the wall- great fun. My favourite artists tend to come from the impressionist movement- Cezanne particularly. I would love to have lived in France when they were around at the end of the 19th Century and have been able to sit and have a chat over an absinthe or two, Paris at the turn of the century must have been an amazing place to be.

Brentor Church, oil on board. This is a large painting and was great fun to do.

 

Where’s your favourite place?

A: Chamonix Mont Blanc in France. I have lived, worked and have many friends there and it is a magical place. I visited Vienna this year which was an amazing city.

What’s your favourite book and/or film?

Film- Trading Places. I used to live a few doors down from a video rental shop in Tavistock as I kid and watched vast amounts of 80s films, still love them.

What irritates you?

Selfishness

Who would you most like to meet (anyone dead or alive)?

Ozzy Osbourne. My dinner party invite list would be Ozzy, Keith Moon, Oliver Reed, Pablo Picasso and Richard Harris. Things might get interesting….

Who is your hero/who do you most admire?

Jason Leonard- 114 caps playing Prop for the England Rugby Team, quite incredible. From an artist perspective I love David Hockney, he’s had a fascinating life.

What motivates and inspires you?

My daughter