Former Oxmarket chairman returns for "final" exhibition

“My father always said that I had a paint brush in my hand before I could walk. I always loved my art and I’ve been at it for over 60 years now. My first score in art was a painting for the art master at school. He asked me to paint a picture of his house. I received five shillings for it.

“I joined the Royal Navy at 16 years old, and the first thing I packed for my sea journeys

was my art gear. I did lots of paintings for the lads. Mostly pictures of their wives, girlfriends or their dogs, back home. I was always very busy and realised that I could make a living out of art.

“After I left the RN, I concentrated on learning more and more on art, all aspects, including,

paints, styles, drawing, older artists, framing etc. I did sign writing, caricatures, portraits and anything else people asked for. In between commissions, I did work for mostly print shops, ad agencies, the Portsmouth newspaper and even worked in Spain for a year or two, painting bottles of beer on pub walls or pub names on cars. It was a great life.

“I joined Gosport Art Society and became president after a time. I won painting competitions in London, Portsmouth, Plymouth and Gosport, and I have a large painting of Gosport hanging in the foyer of the town’s Town Hall. I have given classes and lectured on art and also had the honour of being chairman of the Oxmarket Gallery, which has now become a beautiful setting for artists to show off their works. And coming to that, it’s a good time to let you know, that I have an exhibition starting on July 8 for two weeks at this great venue (free entry)

“My paintings are of many various subjects. I’ve never painted repeats or painted the same things. I enjoy skipping through books, magazines, photographs animalia etc. Come along and view and chat. I’ll be there most days.”