I was born in Liverpool in 1950 moving to Manchester in 1971 to study.

Gaining a First Class Honours degree from Manchester University I taught for a year in Liverpool before coming back to Manchester to complete an MA in Fashion and Textiles.

The artists I most admire are Velasquez, Caravaggio and Michelangelo for their figurative work. I find Matisse’s use of colour stunning and I have been inspired to use bright colour especially in my prints.

For many years I exhibited around the North West and made a living through commissions and sales but when I got married to Anne Marie, I took on some part-time Art teaching of adults and Art History lectures for the extra-mural department of the University. Always maintaining a studio, I combined teaching with my own work.

Moving into full-time teaching at Stand and then Bury College, (two sons Vincent and James, down the line!), I successfully took on responsibility for the Foundation Diploma Course for 13 years.

I finished teaching in 2006 to once again focus solely on my own work. I have been compiling a body of work for exhibition and competition entries. I entered the Patching Open Exhibition on two occasions. In 2007 I won the award for brushwork with my landscape painting Disused Path; and in 2008 I won the award for use of colour for Pauline, my first study from the engagement party collection. I did not enter last year as my wife gave up work and we spent most of the year travelling – so much of my work is contained in sketchbooks.

Starting 2010 I entered the Waterside Exhibition in Sale and had two pieces Rosemarie and Cutting the Cake accepted with Rosemarie being awarded third prize. I have entered the National Portrait Exhibition, London with Josephine Power and the John Moores, Liverpool with a new reworked painting of The Engagement Party entitled The Party. I am currently working on a number of portraits.