I've always been an artist ...

African

'I've always been an artist - my father was an artist - we didn't get on - but I was captivated by his art books - early English water colours.  I found out at school that I had some talent.  I never aspired - it just happened.  I could have gone to Art School from school - but I hated school.

The artist was a remote character that I read about in books.  I just loved it - always doing paintings just to prove how crap you are.  I evolved into an artist.  I have not aspired to anything other than to get up and paint.  I can't paint when I'm drunk.  I'll paint when sober and then after a few drinks, it's a different delusion.  I don't create 'to plan'.  I start layering paint on paint - it may take years - the image comes from the layerings of paint.'