My story
I was born in Stratford-upon-Avon and travelled widely before coming to study Art and Art History in Oxford in 1985. I settled in west Oxfordshire.
I work mostly in watercolour, and I'm perhaps best known for my hand-painted maps - intricate, colourful, and full of the kind of detail that rewards a long, slow look. Maps are a neat way for me to expresses complex ideas. I'm also unfeasibly fond of birds!
Alongside maps, I create original paintings, jigsaw puzzles, tea towels, and greeting cards — things made to be lived with and loved.
My influences include worldwide travel, van Gogh, Gauguin, Hockney, Matisse, and 17th century Dutch & Flemish artists.
In this short video I explain what makes me tick:
Inspiration
I am endlessly fascinated by Mother Nature. I find beauty and truth in coastlines and rivers, birds and seasons, folklore, history and geography. My work is a love letter to the natural world and the stories we tell about the places we love.
Career
As well as being an artist, my varied career includes working in marketing and communications for charities, in education, and in the private sector.
Memorable jobs include: horseback cattle-musterer, petrol pump attendant, and life drawing teacher.
At home
I am married to wildlife photographer Moth Clark. I have a grown-up daughter and son, a step-son, and two pampered cats, Skipper and Officer Dibble.
Exhibitions and awards
I have taken part in Artweeks, Oxfordshire's visual arts festival since 1999, building a loyal following across the county, as well as thousands of customers in the UK and around the world.
Three times a year I show paintings in the Eynsham Arts Group's exhibition.
Recognition
In 2016, my painting Attention All Shipping - a celebration of the BBC Shipping Forecast - was honoured with a prestigious award from the British Cartographic Society. I have sold thousands of cards and prints of it, and I still smile every time someone tells me they grew up falling asleep to those place names.
In October 2021, my Bird Migration Map was featured on BBC Autumnwatch, which was a genuinely pinch-yourself moment. Seeing something I'd made at my studio desk appear on the telly was extraordinarily validating!
Most recently, in November 2024, my painting Old Father Thames won Oxfordshire Museum's 'People's Choice' award - a vote decided entirely by the public, which made it feel especially meaningful.
Artweeks 2027 - Oxfordshire's visual arts festival
In 2027 I will be exhibiting my work in Eynsham, Oxfordshire, on
- Saturday 1 May
- Sunday 2 May
- Bank Holiday Monday 3 May
- Saturday 8 May
- Sunday 9 May
From 2019 to 2026, I exhibited for Artweeks jointly with my brother Paul Tomlinson. In 2027 Paul is having a year off and I shall be hosting a solo exhibition.
If you've ever visited, thank you so much for coming; those conversations with people who connect with my work are what keep me painting.