I have been interested in painting and music from a early age. However at the insistence of my father I had to concentrate on an education that would lead to a ‘proper job’. My abilities meant this led to an education centred on mathematics and science. The interest in music and painting survived, although at this stage I spent any leisure time playing music, both classical and jazz, rather than painting. I also found time to go walking in the Peak District near Manchester and developed a keen interest in the wilder side of the landscape.
My educational qualifications led to a career in the computer industry, which I very much enjoyed.
On retirement I started painting again and now enjoy listening to music instead of playing it. Originally my paintings were purely representational though I did love John Blockley’s water colours which had a lot of abstract texture in them. I started to be interested in abstract painting, especially after spending a whole day at a Bridget Riley exhibition. Very soon afterwards I started to marvel at Klee, Kandinsky, Picasso and Howard Hodgkin. I produced some semi-abstract paintings and was accepted into Southampton Art Gallery for three of their open exhibitions. I now love to attempt to paint abstracts and experiment with different media, including using the computer to draw and paint.
The interactions between colour and the interplay of different coloured shapes and planes appeals to me and I try to achieve and exploit these qualities in my paintings. Walking now takes place on the Hampshire coast, specifically the Solent Way, and on the North Norfolk coast. These landscapes, together with music, stir feelings in me that stimulate my imagination and artistic drives. These, together with the enjoyment I get from playing with paint, mean I just have to attempt to create paintings that express these emotions.
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