Profile
I was born in Wales in 1953. After school in Surrey I trained as a taxidermist but then spent three years working for Trinity House as a lighthouse keeper around the coasts of England and Wales, before studying graphic design and illustration at Canterbury College of Art.
I am a keen bird ringer and have held a licence since 1973. I have been warden of the bird observatories at Sandwich Bay (1977) and the Calf of Man (1991-94).
Grey Wagtail, Little Stour, Kent
I gained a PhD in Avian Ecology from the University of Liverpool awarded for research carried out on the Calf, and was elected a Chartered Biologist in 1997.I now teach Biology, Chemistry and general science at a Grammar school in Kent.
In 1986 I wrote and illustrated ‘A Lighthouse Notebook’, and have contributed articles on natural history and the countryside for a wide range of publications. I have provided artwork for Birds of the Western Palaearctic, the Automobile Association and a number of bird reports particularly that for Kent. In 2003 I managed to win the Identification plate category in the 'Artist of the Year Awards' run by Birdwatch magazine and recently supplied artwork to Eurotunnel for information panels displayed at Samphire Hoe near Dover.
I have been lucky enough to travel in search of birds and wildlife, visiting France , Holland, Belgium , Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Hungary, Spain, Greece, Senegal, Gambia, Canada, Ethiopia and India. I now live in East Kent and spend most of my free time sketching in the woods and marshes along the Stour valley between Canterbury and the sea, although family links take me back to the Pembrokeshire coast and seabird islands whenever possible.
Water Pipit, Grove Ferry, Kent
Essentially I am a watercolour artist, but i use a wide variety of media and enjoy working in oils, acrylics, pen & ink and coloured pencils. I have recently revisited printmaking and look forward to being able to devote more time to this craft in the future.
All my art is inspired by first hand experience and I usually work directly from nature, compiling sketches and reference notes in the field to use later in the studio. When I have time, I enjoy the challenge of painting direct from the landscape.
Bean Geese study, East Kent
