Devon & Cornwall Collection

For most of my life I have painted in watercolour, oils, acrylic, gouache, crayon and pastel but all my work is based on my ability to draw a scene accurately, which is the result of many years drawings buildings and their settings in my role as a Chartered Architect. When I studied architecture at university in Manchester there were no computers. We learned to draw in pencil and Indian ink on paper and tracing paper and used colour to improve the images we created. This continued long into my professional life although my firm was one of the first in the south west to introduce computer aided design (CAD). Through my work on old buildings, my ability to freehand sketch was an asset and I continue to do so, as I am fascinated by old buildings and their environment. I am able to record their current states at the time when I complete in ink, watercolour or acrylic paint. Scanned copies of these works will be retained in the city archives.

My interest in recording the Stonehouse Pool and Royal William Yard and Plymouth waterfront is shown under a separate section.

I like to record old building in their setting particularly in Dartmoor and Bodmin Moor. The colours of brick, stones, tree foliage, heather, gorse, bracken and grasses are fascinating to work with in both acrylic and watercolour where one mixes colours on the paper. Painting water is a real challenge but it gives the artist an opportunity to experiment with ways of creating of reflections and shadows. Below are some examples of my work.