About my work

Today I paint in watercolour because I like the variety of effects it can produce such as painting wet-in-wet and it is easy to travel with. I begin each work with an initial pencil drawing. My subjects include landscapes, architecture, waterscapes and nature. Most of my work is completed at home and the paintings are generally 9×12 or 10×14 inches in size. But working directly from the subject, is also a great joy. Watercolour allows you to work quickly and therefore capture moments of weather even as they are changing. I was once painting a sketch of the towers of San Gimignano lit up by a glorious mid-winter sunset when I suddenly noticed my paint had started to granulate as if there was mud in it - I was so absorbed in the painting that I hadn't realised my paints and the painting had frozen!

Several contemporary watercolourists have influenced me. I particularly admire Trevor Chamberlain’s considerable talent for working quickly and fluently outside producing results which are bold and expressive while maintaining an overall control of the paint.

I must thank the people who have stopped over the years and said something memorable while I was painting outside - the London police officer who suggested I could sell my work directly to tourists on the street even though it wouldn't strictly be allowed, the couple who said they like to support poor starving artists although I didn't look poor or starving (I took note to curate my appearance accordingly!), the woman in St Paul de Vence who commented that there is poetry in my work.

All my artworks on this site are originals - not reproductions. I sign my pictures discreetly on the front, unless otherwise mentioned.

My background

Growing up in the wilds of Wales, I loved being outside observing and sketching birds, flowers, and nature in general. I later won a scholarship to study at the Studio of Charterhouse school going on to produce a portfolio in watercolour, oil, gouache, charcoal, etching, linocut, silkscreen printing, and ceramics. There were also regular life-drawing classes which taught me the need to observe rigorously. The urge to travel then took me to live in the Atlas Mountains and, today, inspiration for my work still comes from travelling with sketchbook and a small watercolour palette, striving to capture the essence of a place. Today I live in the south of France, in the town of Vence, enjoying the intense light and colours of this region.

Watercolor painting of old yellow church towers with trees and a pink sky in the background.
A man with a straw hat, glasses, a purple checkered shirt, and beige shorts sitting on a bench in a European city square, sketching in a notebook with a pen, holding some money and a small box, with outdoor cafes, bicycles, trees, and historic buildings in the background.
Watercolor painting supplies on a wooden table with a view of a river and cityscape in the background, including a sketchbook with a painting of palm trees and water, watercolor palette, and paintbrush.

The Nile at Aswan (with fellucas) and Luxor at different times of day. The pyramids in a dust storm.

In my sketchbooks I record my impressions of a place at a particular moment, carefully observing what I perceive.

After a trip, I review my sketches and photos and then create a set of more finished paintings – a collection of my experiences.

Below are some larger finished paintings now in private collections around the world!

A watercolor painting of tall palm trees against a mountain range at sunset with a cloudy sky.
Watercolor painting of mountains, a lake, and a distant village with small houses in the foreground.
A black and white ink or watercolor painting of a tiger's face with intense eyes, detailed stripes, and a calm expression, signed with initials and the year 2023.
Watercolor painting of a landscape featuring a row of trees in the foreground, a distant lake, rolling hills, and mountains in the background under a cloudy sky.
Watercolor painting of four people riding horses through a lush green forest, with sunlight filtering through the trees.
Waterfall with people walking on a bridge nearby, surrounded by trees and vegetation, painted in watercolor style.
Watercolor painting of a landscape showing a large tree in the foreground, a body of water with horizontal blue strokes, and distant mountains with a hint of snow on one peak under a light sky.
A watercolor painting of a stone bridge over a canal, with Gothic-style windows and a statue on a boat in the water beneath. Trees surround the scene.
Watercolor painting of a historic domed building, likely a cathedral, on a city street with pedestrians, under a partly cloudy sky.
A watercolor painting of two orange, wilted flowers with green leaves and a stem against a gray background.
Watercolor painting of three gondolas with blue covers, moored to wooden posts on a calm body of water, with cloudy sky in the background.
Watercolor painting of a white ceramic vase holding pink, red, and purple flowers with green leaves, placed on a table with a shadow cast on the surface.
Watercolor painting of pink and purple clematis flowers with green leaves.
Watercolor painting of a Moroccan street scene viewed through an arched entryway, with colorful buildings, a hanging lantern, and people with donkeys in the street. The word 'MOROCCO' is at the bottom.
Colorful watercolor painting of a red, yellow, and blue macaw parrot perched on a tree branch in a lush forest setting.
Watercolor painting of a colorful macaw perched on a branch with green leaves in the background.
Watercolor painting of two butterflies, one orange and the other with red and purple wings, arranged vertically on a white background, with a signature at the bottom right.
Watercolor painting of a butterfly with blue and black wings on a white background.
Watercolor painting of an elegant room with pink walls, ornate pink and gold furniture, a painting on the wall, and a large chandelier hanging from the ceiling.
Watercolor painting of a beach scene with clear blue water, white sandy shore, and a distant sailboat under a partly cloudy sky.
A watercolor painting of a European city square featuring a central fountain with water flowing into a round basin, surrounded by trimmed bushes and a grassy area. In the background, there are buildings with mansard roofs and windows, set against a p
Watercolor painting of a sailing ship on calm water with a foggy coastline or mountains in the background.
Watercolor painting of a European cityscape with a large domed church, smaller buildings, and a cloudy sky.