Between Art College in the 1970s and retirement from work in 2019, art was something I consumed rather than produced. Then, with more time on my hands, I took up regular life drawing classes, and was pleasantly surprised to find that any ability I once had was still there, waiting to be revived and developed. 

Coming from a family of artists I grew up knowing that drawing was the foundation of all art, and it still makes up most of what I do. I have yet to explore beyond painting in acrylics on paper, but an early attempt in oils has shown me why so many artists consider it the perfect medium. A week grappling with watercolours showed me how difficult that is, while anything beyond two dimensions is a completely closed book to me – a book I must one day open. 

So far I have found inspiration mainly from drawing buildings and natural structures, while my current focus is on trying to combine figures with the landscape, or at least to include some sort of action in my compositions. There is always a long way to go, but I find it a thrilling and rewarding journey.