Pre-Degree Art 1972 - 1978

I always took an interest in drawing and sketching after my interest in ornithology as a young person. I kept scrap books taking notes and sketching through my interest in bird watching.

Whilst at Alec Hunter Secondary School in Braintree, Essex, I came across a curved glass TV screen. Using gloss paints, I used the glass as a canvas and painted a portrait of Jimi Hendrix. I continued to explore this medium placing two or three glass panels together for a 3D effect. Later I moved on to using hardboard and canvas board and explored techniques using oil paints.

From 1973 to 1976, I painted a series of surreal pictures influenced by my dreams, teenage fears and anxieties, the cinema, humour, as well as delving into shocking ideas, sensations, and madness. During this period I achieved 'A' Level in Art and attended regular life-figure drawing classes.

In 1976 I started a two-year Art Foundation course at Braintree College, Essex. This gave me the opportunity to experiment with various mediums and techniques, from clay modelling, ceramics, print making (screen and etching) 3D design, painting, life drawing and photography. It was difficult to move away from my surrealist ideas and to accept modern art theories. I become confused with the art world and was battling against this and painting techniques and traditions that I wished to explore. I did dabble with an airbrush! I also acheived 'A' Level in Art History.