I’ve never had any formal art training or education. When I was younger, books and literature seemed the way forwards, and that has served me very well over many many years with my work in publishing, however I’ve always wanted to be artistic. I’m not claiming I always have been, but I’ve done a lot of trying!

Years ago and did a few photo-realistic portraits. I mean they were recognisable, and they were good, but I discovered very quickly that they were pretty emotionless. They didn’t say anything. And I moved on to murals and other things, still not finding what I wanted to say.

I tried watercolours and oils, with some success, but frustration also. I can make Acrylics do what I want, be what I see, but I struggle with the other mediums. Oil Pastels are still fun, although the results questionable for me at least!

I have some beautiful pictures of castles, they are really lovely but I don’t feel that they say very much about me (although I’m still stupidly proud of them and will include them here in my gallery.

I think this was the first painting I did that I felt was mine, it wasn’t inspired by, it wasn’t copying what was in front of me, and for me at least it said something.

The place I live is a village of contradictions, the old and new areas meeting at a no-mans-land in the middle, dominated always by the towering mountains and the intrusive pylons.

The picture is of a foggy day, although it’s not really fog, it’s when the cloud gets so low, that most of the world disappears, and the giant hanging moon dominating the sky.

I’d been out walking looking for my monster cat, who’d done a bunk for over a week before skulking back home. I loved this view, of the moon and the mountains, and the rich colours of the hills. The old schoolhouse sits within the view of my window, and I’ve been watching it’s transformation over the last year, with scaffolding and heavy machinery. Love diggers!

(Painting now sold)