I  was born in the Rossendale Valley though  I  currently reside in the Ribble Valley. I graduated in Art & Design at Sheffield College in the 1970’s and taught for many years at Accrington College of FE. I have exhibited artwork over the years, usually in group exhibitions within the Northwest.

Currently I work on a small format, creating mixed-media artworks, some of which are set in deep-box frames. They’re sculptural bas-reliefs, using a wide variety of materials. Essentially I’m a representational artist, albeit approached from an unusual perspective.

All artists are influenced, both directly and indirectly by their environment, experiences and cultural milieu. Probably the most direct artistic source is Surrealism.

There are other influences at work however, some of which I find difficult to rationalise and articulate.

When you reach a certain age, you become more aware of your mortality and the transitory nature of life. Many of my assemblages are personal, reflective pieces dealing with these themes. I also have a mordant and subversive sense of humour which I hope is evident in some of the pieces.

The Joker, the Queen of Hearts and the Ace of Spades. Magic, love and death, the triad of forces that govern, manipulate and shape our lives. These are the inspiration for my art.

I see the role of the artist as that of entertainer, as magician, there to distract us briefly from ourselves, and perhaps open windows to unfamiliar worlds.

‘Humankind cannot bear too much reality’   T.S.Eliot