The style or approach to painting that I use is one based on a sense of design that was confirmed for me by two formative years spent in Italy after graduating from Art College in the 1970s. At the same time a sensuous enjoyment of colour is important to me, stemming as it does I think from a childhood spent partly in the tropics when my family lived in Africa. Cornwall has brought together these personal tastes of mine through its landscape, culture and over-arching quality of maritime light.

• Born in Yorkshire my early education was in Huddersfield. I gained an honours degree in Fine Art at Newcastle-upon-Tyne University and on graduating in 1971 was awarded a Bunzl travel scholarship to study in Italy. I returned to the U.K. in 1973 and lived for seven years in Bath, training as a teacher at Bristol University.
• I taught Art in Bath, London and Cornwall from 1976 to 1999 and was head of Art at Mounts Bay School, Penzance from 1982 to 1999.
• I was elected to membership of the National Acrylic Painters Association in January 2007.
• I've been a practicing Buddhist since 1983.