BIOGRAPHY

Birth

My mum tells me I was a quiet, easygoing sort of foetus.
Born in Stroud... opposite an art school! Could it have been some sort of sign of what fate had in store for me?
No.

Life (thus far)

I grew up in Bradford (voted International City of Satan, 1976,1979, 1985-96) and cut short a maths and astronomy degree at University College, London in order to spend more time with my pencils.

I trained at Bradford, then at the Camberwell School of Art, as well as a short spell at the Institute of 2-Dimensional Voodoo in Haiti). I gained a first at Camberwell and lost a soul (since partially recovered) at Tiburon.

I live and work in the sprawling suburbopolis of London with my wife and no dogs.

As well as illustration, other interests include science/history of science, esp. physics and astronomy, and art history, particularly dusty British 18th C. painting. Also pulp book covers and Egyptology. And other things which I will update here from time to time. Not.

I have just finished reading “The Long Fidelity” by Kathleen Warren - still trying to work out what she was on about. Next is “Bath Tangle” by Georgette Heyer (believe me!)

My spare time is taken up by meeting groups of like-minded friends, whose common interests are displayed in a variety of capers and frisks.

Death

I hope to be the first person to die by being struck by a meteorite, loudly, wide-awake, whenever. My wife does too.

Afterlife:

Sometimes I fantasise that I am in the future. My withered rotting body is in a robotic iron lung. My work is forgotten and I am visited by a nurse twice a week who oils my lung and dusts my head. I can only communicate by a system of flashing lights:

red=no
green=yes
yellow=go away
blue=why hast thou forsaken me?

Dry-As-Dust-CV

Illustration

From 1989-present I have been working mainly in editorial. Clients include the Guardian, National Trust, Private Eye, Times Education Supplements, Times Saturday Magazine, New Statesman, BBC History, The Philosophers Magazine, The Independent, BMA News, Nursing Standard.

Exhibitions

British Museum, 2004: exhibition with Dan Bernard and David Allsop based on collecting in the Enlightenment.
Tate Britain, 2003: 'Icons of British Satire'; exhibited work based on art in the Tate collection.
Saatchi Gallery, 2003: political cartoon based on art in the Saatchi collection.
Tate Britain, 2001: exhibited in ‘James Gillray & the Art of Caricature’ show.
RaeSmith Gallery, 1999-2004: work for sale exhibited.

Teaching

Winchester School of Art Foundation: part-time visiting lecturer in graphic design/ illustration 2001-2006.
British Museum: drawing workshop in the Wolfson Gallery 22/4/6.
Tate Britain: 24 Hours of a Political Cartoonist talk/discussion/drawing 19/11/04.
Lyndhurst Primary School: 'Drawing with Nippers' 14/10/04.
The Cartoon Art Trust: 'William Hogarth in England' 16/03/04.
British Museum: gallery talk 'My Exhibition on The King's Library and the Grand Tour'.
British Museum: drawing Workshop in the African Gallery for the 'Big Draw' 16/10/04, 18/10/03, 19/10/02.
The Cartoon Art Trust: occasional caricature workshops 6/11/03 et al.
British Museum: ‘Assault By Watercolour’ talk 19/10/02.

Manual Labour

I once worked on a building site on the Isle of Dogs. I dropped a brick on my wrist, cutting it quite deeply; I still have the scar.