Born in 1955 near London the natural world has always been his passion and Neil drew and painted wildlife from an early age. Early interest from galleries and collectors followed, so it was perhaps no surprise that, despite graduating in Law at Southampton University and some time spent in consultancy work, he decided to return to his first love and pursue a career as a wildlife artist. Early influences included Archibald Thorburn with his talent for combining the full spectrum of rich, contrasting colours in a harmonious way and Canadian artist Robert Bateman's ability to compose his paintings around a strong dynamic design, often using large areas of simplicity and space to maximise impact and mood. Entirely self-taught, Neil's work rarely relies on the standard techniques usually applied to his chosen medium, be it oil or watercolour. His paintings benefit from an originality born out of constant experimentation. Whilst ultimately the challenge is to produce a picture that works as a piece of art, he understands the importance of scientific correctness and hours spent in the field over the years ensure authenticity in all his paintings. Over the years he has been represented by a network of galleries throughout Europe and the UK as well as the Clarke Galleries, Vermont and the Bennett Galleries Tennessee in the USA. Along with strong sales at Christies, Sotheby's and Philips his widespread appeal has been ensured. Living in the West Country on the magnificent Jurassic Coast, close to the sea in an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, he finds himself constantly inspired by the spectacular scenery and rich diversity of wildlife in this stunning part of the country.
