I was born in 1938, the son of a country parson. In this, I was fortunate in never having to argue against conventional fears and expectations, being permitted to regard vocation as life’s purpose. My first love was music, and in a large country vicarage there was room enough for an ascetic regime of practicing. But music was an unattainable desire. The visual arts, however, have now proved themselves to be a family matter. My art training included five years of practical study at Worthing and Leeds and after five years of teaching I had a second bite of the cherry as a mature student at the Royal Academy Schools, London.
My reactions to those things that excite me have always been extreme and constant and this, perhaps, is my talent. The deep-rooted impact of childhood amongst the Shropshire hills blossomed into an agonising love affair with mountains. Since 1968 I have painted the elemental nature of Snowdonia, fugitive in all its moods. It is a process of discovery more than a statement, questions complete without answers. I have managed to support myself and my family by this vocation – but luck has also had a hand in it.
My dream to become a painter came true because of the love of my wife, Judy.