I meet with a group of nine other artists most  weeks so that we can paint together; we each have our different styles and preferred subjects, and we paint in a wide variety of different media, but we find it invaluable to swap ideas and suggestions and to provide (usually!) constructive criticism of each other's work. 

Most of my art materials come from the excellent mail order and internet service provided by Ken Bromley Art Supplies . However, I get all my brushes from Rosemary & Co at www.rosemaryandco.com .

 I used to paint mainly in watercolour but today I usually paint in acrylics, (using a palette of Liquitex and Derivan Matisse colours), on gesso prepared mdf board, occasionally in combination with collage.  

I always start my paintings from a series of on the spot  value and composition sketches drawn on a small sketch pad with soft graphite sticks, with jottings of the key colours. This process clarifies the main design, what to leave out or emphasise and so on.  Then I go straight into the painting with brush or painting knife, without any prior drawing on the painting surface itself

Whenever possible, I start the painting "en plein air" and if I run out of time or painter friendly weather, then I finish off in the studio. Coastal scenes "en plein air" are rendered even more difficult as the tide flowing in and out limits the time available to capture the scene before it changes.  

Having spent my formative years on the Atlantic coast of Devon, living within sight and sound of the sea, I am naturally drawn to coastal scenes.   Boats, harbour scenes, old buildings and coastal landscapes in all their various moods and weather conditions strike a chord with me and demand to be painted.  

Since 1990 I have had a cottage on the island of St Mary’s, which is the principal island of the Isles of Scilly, located about 30 miles south west of mainland Britain. The coastal landscape and the quality of the light there is very special, and many of my paintings depict scenes around Scilly. 

My main home is in south Buckinghamshire where I  paint scenes of Chiltern woods, villages,  and ponds , and, increasingly, the scenery along the  Thames valley. I also enjoy painting scenes of working retrievers and spaniels such as those at the top of this page. 

My paints go with me wherever I travel overseas; particularly to my beloved Greek islands. Here I can recommend fellow painters to visit the unspoilt island of Fournoi and its fine new hotel The Archipelagos.  For those who would like to take matters Greek further I can recommend the excellent Greek language classes run by Irene Leousi, see

www.sounds-greek.com.

      Artist at work, with loyal assistant

I became a member of The Buckinghamshire Art Society  in 1999 and was Chairman of this Society from 2003 to 2005. I am also a member of a number of more local art societies, such as “Beechwood Artists” and the “Cookham Arts Club”.

My work is exhibited in galleries in Scilly and the Home Counties as well as at the exhibitions of local art societies in and around Buckinghamshire. I do demonstrations and talks about acrylic painting to various local Art Societies.