Born Bristol, August 1939. Educated at Carlton Park School, Bristol and at the West of England College of Art. He had a five year apprenticeship with Mardon, Son and Hall. He is an Academician of the Royal West of England Academy and a member of the National Graphical Association. Deputy FOC. Pursued career for 34 years as an artist and designer with Mardon, Son and Hall, which company had one of the largest studios in the country. Mardon`s produced finished paintings for use inter alia as illustrations for cigarette cards. Commercial work included display, packaging design, finished artwork for reproduction, instruction manuals for machine operation, sample design, poster design, photographic artwork, lettering for reproduction, illustration for packaging and designing simple board games for children. Customers included Imperial Tobacco, BAT, Proctor and Gamble, Manor Bakeries, Mars, Cadburys, Nabisco, United Biscuits, Bird`s Eye, Ross, Donald Cook, Marks and Spencers, Ambrosia, United Dairies, Wiggins Teape, Cavendish Foods, Nisa, Van den Burghs and Jurgens. Also during this time worked privately in fine art, becoming an Associate of the RWA. Received the Cornelissen Prize for Fine Art in 1985. Artist member of Bristol Savages since 1972, President twice. Retired from employment August 1989 to pursue full time freelance career in fine art. Elected Academician, Royal West of England Academy in 1991. Exhibits regularly in South and West of England and Wales, with many one-man shows in Bristol, Bath and Cheltenham. Work in London exhibitions at Islington Fine Arts and The Mall Gallery. National finalist Laing Water Colour Competition 1992. Works in collections inter alia of the Marquis of Bath (Wessex collection), British Aerospace, Barclays Bank, Inland Revenue, Nat. West Assurance, Atomic Energy Authority, Leeds Building Society, Bristol and West Building Society, Yorkshire Building Society and many private collections. Produced two books for Anaya (Publishers), Ron Ranson`s Painting School “Drawing and Sketching” 1993 and Watercolour Landscape 1994, distributed world wide. Work also reproduced in books by other authors e.g. Michael Edwards’ “Painting Towns and Cities”. Regular contributor to Artists` Magazines. Teaches informally at Art Clubs and other venues. Other principal interests include photography, railways and books personal Library in excess of 1650 volumes and growing continually. (J. F. P.)