As a child I was influenced by the older members of my family, many of whom were artists, teachers, engineers and scientists. My grandfather often took me to the Prado Museum in Madrid where he introduced me to the great masters – Velazquez, El Greco, Goya, Murillo, Tisian and Ribera.

Since then, I have come to understand many of my grandfather’s teachings – like how Velazquez was the painter of the air – or more practical skills like how to clean a brush, use a pen or make an outstanding point on a graphite pencil. These have since become the tools of my trade.

In the early 70s after travelling to South America on holiday, I fell in love with Venezuela. I married and eventually made my home in Maracaibo, the second largest city after Caracas. More recently I was Professor in the Faculty of Art at Maracaibo’s Zulia University where I taught drawing.

In 2019 the worsening economic and political climate in Venezuela meant my family and I decided to leave Venezuela and fly to Madrid, where I was born. We had to leave behind our house, jobs, friends, and almost all of our possessions – including my studio, easel, many of my canvases, sculptures, art books and other works. If I needed any justification, perhaps it was when the security guards at Caracas airport confiscated my paint brushes. They were deemed to be dangerous weapons!

Then widowed, I married the girlfriend of my youth and I am now established again in Europe, living between Devon and Madrid working on new themes.