Born in 1954 Colin started work in a commercial studio in London at 17 having passed his final exams a year early. While there he attended evening classes at St Martins School of Art and at 21 years old decided to leave and pursue a freelance career.

He exhibits regularly in London with the Royal Institute of Oil Painters, the Royal Society of Marine Artists and the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours to which he was elected a full member in 2001 He has won many prizes over the years, the President's Medal at the Society of Equestrian Artists twice 1999 2003 where he is also a member, the Daler/Rowney award at the Royal Watercolour Society and the Frank Herring award at the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours

He is a member of the South West Academy of Fine and Applied Arts and often shows at the Royal West of England Academy where in 2002 2004 he won the award for Watercolour painting His work can be seen at the Waterside Gallery, Instow, North Devon, The Tregony Gallery, Cornwall, the Walker Gallery East Devon and frequently the Mall Galleries in London He has written articles for the Artist, Artist and Illustrator and International Artist Magazines and in November 2002 the publishers Halsgrove produced a book on his life and work containing over 100 full colour plates of his paintings and drawings. He is married and lives with his wife and 3 children in North Devon