I have been a freelance wildlife artist and illustrator for over 30 years. In that time I have produced work in a wide variety of media and techniques, and in many different styles. For most of this time, the majority of my work was in acrylic, either on canvas or board, but recently I have increasingly worked digitally. My digital works are created using Photoshop and a graphics tablet and pen, and then printed using the giclee method, on high quality papers.
Using this technique I can produce much 'purer' areas of flat colour than could ever be the case with paint, and avoid the pitfalls of getting bogged down with excessive detail. The finished prints have been described as having something of the feel of old railway posters, but with a modern twist, which I think sums them up nicely!
Whatever medium I am using, composition has always been of great importance to me. I try to avoid drawing or painting just a bird or birds on 'a background'; the whole picture is always considered as one hopefully harmonious entity. I’m always looking out for ideas, whether it’s a landscape where the bird is a small part of the picture, or at the other extreme perhaps just part of a bird or animal. I try to make pictures which can be appreciated by anyone, even if they have no particular interest in wildlife.
Over the years I have illustrated many books and other publications, including contributing to the Concise Birds of the Western Palearctic (Oxford University Press) and the RSPB Birds of Britain and Europe series (Dorling Kindersley).