Francis Hoyland was born in Birmingham in 1930. He is a painter, printmaker, teacher, writer and art critic. His teaching posts have included Royal West of England Art School, Chelsea School of Art and Camberwell School of Arts. He has taken part in several radio and television broadcasts, was art critic for The Listener during the 1960's and has written three books, including Alive To Paint, published by Oxford University Press in 1967. Hoyland has received many private commissions, including one for a series of religious works entitled Life of Christ for Southwark Cathedral. He writes, ‘I still want to paint large pictures of religious subjects that illustrate my catholic faith, and I would like these paintings to be housed in churches. I have, as it happens, twice filled or nearly filled cathedral sized churches with my work; once in Southwark Cathedral and once in Southwell Minster, but these works have come back to me or have been sold elsewhere.’ He continues to exhibit and his work is held in numerous private and public collections both in the UK and overseas, including the British Museum. www.francishoyland.co.uk