Frederick Lea
In his own words...
I was born in Manchester in 1945, but grew up in Cirencester, Gloucestershire. I was educated at Cirencester Grammar School, and subsequently followed a career of some 30 years in the Civil Service. In 1996 I accepted the offer of early retirement, and started a new life as a self-employed artist and illustrator.
Drawing and painting had always been a natural ability for me, as far back as Primary School days, and this developed over the years with much encouragement and support from family and friends. I am completely self-taught and work mainly in watercolours and gouache, but have also produced numerous pencil, pen & ink drawings, and some oil paintings. My style is representational, and I always aim to produce a colourful and realistic portrayal of any chosen subject.
I have always had a passion for railways, and I was accepted as a member of the Guild of Railway Artists in 1996, becoming a Full Member in 1998. I have exhibited widely in Guild exhibitions since then, including shows at York, Carlisle, Derby and Kidderminster on the Severn Valley Railway. For the past 25 years I have been 'Resident Artist' on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway, my local preserved steam railway in the Cotswolds.
