I was born in Newry Co. Down Ireland and grew up on the edge of Dundalk, a
small market town in County Louth, just below the border. I went to the
Dundalk Grammar School.
As a child I vividly remember drawing cartoons and superheroes from my comics.
I had a scrapbook of my favourite ones which I kept for years . . . sadly it
disappeared in a move.
I chose to go to college in England. Partly because it seemed somehow more exciting
and adventurous than studying at home. After graduating from Riversdale College in
Liverpool I joined the Transglobe Expedition, led by Sir Ranulph Fiennes. This three-year
expedition successfully achieved the first circumnavigation of the globe on land, sea and
ice via North and South poles along the Greenwich Meridian and changed my life forever.
Me, Pic taken in Egypt
During the expedition I was at sea, on an ice cap or in some remote location
for weeks or months on end. Spending large amounts of time alone, surrounded by
the staggering beauty of vast and often barren spaces had a profound affect and the
essence of this experience strongly influenced my painting. During the expedition
I sketched and worked in watercolour, illustrating places of interest in my diary.
For a number of years after the expedition I lived in Germany, painting
watercolours and oils, exhibiting and undertaking private commissions.
I also travelled extensively throughout Europe, spending time in Holland, Spain and
Portugal before finally settling in London in 1990. There my work took on a new
dimension, incorporating digital illustration.
In 2003 I returned to my most loved medium, oil on canvas and have been
exhibiting my paintings in the UK and Internationally since.
I live near Camberwell in London, UK where I have a studio at home.
A Studio Shot
