I have always had a passion for making pictures. As a child we did not have a TV in our house so when I outgrew interest in toys I used to spend time drawing cartoons. With good art tutors at secondary school it became apparent I had a gift for drawing and at 16 had a summer job working at a traditional illustration company. After developing an interest in visual perception I completed a joint degree in Art & Psychology at university. I took a job with the largest employer in the town in which I lived involving financial administration and customer services, occasionally I would still paint and take on art commissions. I spent 15 years in that office job and found myself continually taking holidays in Belgium and The Netherlands which i found visually, culturally and historically fascinating. A friend that I often visited who lived in Amsterdam was going away for three months asked “You’ve always wanted to know what it’s like to live in Amsterdam, now’s your chance”. This was a now or never opportunity that I didn’t want to wander ‘what if?’ so I quit my job and moved to his apartment in Amsterdam for three months where I found myself stimulated and inspired to dedicate more time to art again. On returning to the UK I went back to financial administration but missed the creativity and inspiration found in Amsterdam so returned permanently to pursue an artistic career.