I've had to do all kinds of jobs to pay the rent. I've even worked in a Cornish tin mine.

I have to experiment with methods and I'm trying to find an authentic way of making an equivalent of the living, breathing person within the limits of a single picture.

As a kid I quite fancied the romantic, Bohemian idea of being an artist. I expect I thought I could escape from the difficulties of maths and spelling. Maybe I thought I would avoid the judgement of the establishment.

I had been living with dialysis for three years or so, and the new kidney felt like a reprieve, a new gift of life. I felt alive again and I guess that has had an effect on my use of colour.

I've had to do all kinds of jobs to pay the rent. I've even worked in a Cornish tin mine.

I tried to learn the violin for a while.

When I look at some of my old work, the pieces I find most interesting are the ones with people in them.