Art and gardening have coexisted in my life for nearly thirty years.
I became a professional landscape painter and private tutor first, after taking the risky decision to give up my day job. Shortly afterwards and out of the blue, I was offered work on a local private estate which, given the lumpy nature of my income stream, I accepted. I assisted the head gardener and maintenance team on a part-time basis enabling me to fulfil teaching commitments, commissions and new work for exhibitions. It also provided an opportunity to develop my interest in gardening whilst resolving practical tasks requiring a creative approach.
Over time, work on the estate increased until eventually I had sole responsibility for looking after the entire garden which included formal lawns and borders, two greenhouses, an orchard and walled garden. After many rewarding years however, I left to offer my skills to a broader client base which is where I am now, working on small to large gardens where the challenges are endlessly enjoyable and satisfying. I still make time for my art too and continue to portray on paper or canvas the subject which has inspired me more than any other, the beguiling River Severn from source to sea.
My last commissioned piece below, was for a wedding gift. My brief was to create a scene depicting all four bridges associated with the groom's life, Worcester, Harvard, Brooklyn and Golden Gate. His journey begins in the foreground, rowing on the Severn at Worcester with his future life receding into the distance; his bride, unbeknown to him, is the light over San Francisco.
