Educated at the Slade (1929-31 and 1935-36), where he was awarded the Orpen Prize and the Slade Scholarship which was not taken up. He spent some time in Paris in the 1930s where he attended the Academie Ranson, where Roger Bissiere taught. His first one man exhibition was held at the Bloomsbury Gallery in 1936. He fought in World War II, taking part in the Dieppe Raid and was taken prisoner of war. He executed his first abstract in 1950 and in 1965 he moved to St Ives. In 1968 he was appointed C.B.E. He won first prize at the John Moores Exhibition in Liverpool in 1963 and represented Britain at the Venice Biennale in 1964.