Born the fifth child to a working class family in Grays Essex, Norman grew up in a rented terrace house with his elder siblings and younger brother.  At age seven, his mother paid sixpence a week for him to have piano lessons every Saturday. Although he moaned about relentlessly having to practice scales, the arduous preparation paid off as he later became a successful jazz pianist playing with his band in many of the top London hotels.

1950 -The early days in jazz band‘The Dynamics’.

1961 at the Cumberland Hotel in London accompanying

Earths Kit, Dave Allen, Harry Secombe, Dick Emery, Roy Castle, Mike Yarwood, Jimmy Tarbuck, Mike & Bernie Winters.

Norman’s other childhood interest was drawing.  He copied characters from comic books, and helped with school posters. His interest in painting continued to grow as he studied books from the local library, building up his understanding of perspective, anatomy, colour as well as skills of observation and description.


In 1939, the normality of life began to change as war broke out.  He watched his three older brothers go off to fight for their country, and the eldest, Charlie, was sadly not to return.  In 1941 the family moved to Glasgow where Norman’s father now worked.  At age 14,  Norman worked on a pilot boat as a deck hand guiding ships back into safe harbour on the Clyde during the Battle of the Atlantic.  Two years later the family returned back to Grays after their father was injured during an accident at work.


In 1944 Norman was called up to join the Irish Guards Regiment who were preparing to go to Palestine. However, he was lucky enough to gain a position as a waiter in the Officers Mess at Caterham Barracks.  He was eventually demobbed in 1948 and was free to resume his study of art and music.


Norman met the love of his life, Doreen, and they married in 1951.  Money and materials were hard to come by after the war years, but they managed to buy a plot of land and build a bungalow.  Norman was working hard as a high street window cleaner in Grays in the mornings, working on his paintings in the afternoons, and going to band jobs in the evenings.  He even managed to notch up a pretty good handicap playing golf!


Norman’s artistic career enabled him to focus solely on painting, and as commissions and sales of his paintings increased, he was offered a teaching position at Thurrock College as a lecturer in advanced art.  He also gave many talks and demonstrations to art societies throughout the county, and was invited to teach at the Burren Painting Centre in the Republic of Ireland during the holiday season.  Norman taught for many years passing on his techniques, knowledge and experience to his students.


In his lifetimes works, Norman has exhibited his paintings at many exhibitions and galleries, including the former Rembrandt Gallery in Amsterdam.  He has had one man shows and sold paintings to people all around the world. He has donated paintings to raise money for many charities and good causes.  He is a founder member of the Society of Botanical Artists, exhibiting works regularly in the Mall galleries, London during his career.  He also has the honour of having had a painting of HRH Princess Anne being accepted into her private collection.


During his many years of painting,  Norman has captured and documented many wonderful  visions ranging from Roman Britain to modern London, beautiful English landscapes and formal gardens, seascapes and African plains, portraits and stunningly detailed pictures of animals, but when he creates a painting, there is always a story that goes with it.


Norman has so many fascinating and funny stories which he has accumulated throughout his career as an artist and a musician. His autobiography ‘a brush with my palette’ tells many stories about his life  from childhood up to his late 70’s.  Although his finger dexterity doesn’t him allow to play the piano anymore, he paints every day and is still refining his skill and techniques.
 

1944 Irish Guard