Joseph Speight, usually known as Joe, was born in February 1945. He spent his formative years abroad, particularly in the Far East which had a significant influence on his style and colour rendition. His preferred medium is oil on canvas, because of a tendency towards intricate detail in seascapes and still-life pictures. As for subject matter, marine are at the top of his list, particularly ships, old and modern, followed closely by action subjects such as the American Civil War. Watercolours are an occasional departure as these lend themselves to a more open expression when producing landscapes and are well suited to the Cotswolds where he lives. Although he has painted all his life, he has never been serious about it until recently, only holding occasional exhibitions to sell pictures to make room for new ones. The emphasis has been on running a computer business for the past 25 years. (J. S.)