I was born in London in 1948. I am a painter, illustrator, writer, lecturer and the founding director of Art and Mind.
In the sixties and seventies I exhibited my paintings and woodcuts in London galleries and studied print making and printing for artists with the great printer Ian Mortimer. I worked in education and museums as an audio-visual and graphic designer and illustrator, including several years at the Tower of London Education Centre.
For ten years I lived in France, where I ran my own gallery and mounted exhibitions, concerts and lectures. Now resident in the UK, I have exhibited my work in London, Oxford, Cambridge, Winchester and at Petworth House as artist in residence at the 2009 Petworth Festival. My paintings are in many private collections in UK, France and the United States, and in the collection of Clare Hall, Cambridge University.
In 2012 I published my book ‘Essays and Images’. I have recently illustrated ‘The Darker the Night, the Brighter the Stars’ by neuropsychologist and author Paul Broks. A recent publication is ‘Circlings’, a book of 100 ink drawings related to Dante’s ‘Divine Comedy’. Details of this book can be found here: ‘Circlings’. Two books have been published recently – ‘The Lost Traveller’s Dream‘ and ‘The Lemon Tree Suite‘. Click on the title to find ut more. Recently I illustrated a book of poetry and translations by Caroline Maldonado called ‘Mirror and Stone’, both poems and drawings springing from the work of Michelangelo. My latest book is ‘The Book of Anomalies’ which you can find out about by clicking on the title.
New essays are available to read (also Published in Interalia Magazine). They are The Fox and The Tarn.
A fascination with how the brain reacts to works of art has led me to research, write and lecture on these topics. I am the founding director of Art and Mind (www.artandmind.org.uk) which has attracted leading artists and scientists to explore, through festivals and symposia, what light the brain sciences can throw on contemporary culture.
I have lectured on art and the brain at The Conway Hall, London, Clare Hall, Cambridge University, Imperial College London, Winchester School of Art, The Highgate Literary and Scientific Institution, Exeter University and many other venues.
I have an interest in mountaineering (Mountains) and have climbed in the UK, the Alps and Africa, as well as leading my own expeditions to remote parts of the Nepalese Himalayas. I am now interested in solo, wild camping, multi day treks.