The Butterfly Mask Painting

Most my formative years were spent in Bridgnorth, Shropshire. The estate was extensive and offered all that my brother, two sisters and I wanted or needed. My elder sister was a keen equestrian. At the age of eight my brother started keeping and flying falcons and hawks: becoming a highly accomplished falconer. I often worked with him but lacked the commitment and skill he had. My relationship with the animal world grew to be broadly based, I found sketching and painting the environment hugely rewarding. The freedom and demands of art school suited me. I moved from Shrewsbury School of Arts to Cheltenham and Gloucestershire University and after much fun, enjoyment and hard work, then onto the Post Graduate School of Painting at Birmingham University. University was a wonderful experience; the pressure to exhibit was constant and at least one day a week I could lecture at a range of art schools or university departments. This was both rewarding and stimulating and on reflection I’m sure it had a very important impact on my own work. The teaching experiences lead me to Goldsmith’s College, University of London. I was lucky to be able to continue some of my work in art schools and university departments as well as being introduced to school based art education. I was offered and took a job teaching at a school in Hertford although I was slightly underwhelmed by the opportunity I was excited by the large house that went with it, as at the age of 25 I had just married the wonderful Janette Long. In 1978 I was appointed Head of Art and Design Technology at a girl’s grammar school in Chatham, Kent, a town with a rich 500 year history both in ship building and as a naval base. Witnessing its fight for survival and subsequent demise was to become another important influence on my work. In 1981 and 1984 our two beautiful daughters Kate and Hannah were born. Then luck again gave me the time to rekindle my relationship with a number of universities and art schools particularly Goldsmith’s College, University of London, where I tutored post graduate art education students one day a week. In 1994 I took a two year sabbatical to work at Law with a London Chambers dealing primarily with case preparation. I predominantly worked on child abuse cases. The work and High Court provided me with a rich and textured learning experience.