Phil Cram, a largely self-tutored painter, tries to imbue all of his work with a kinetic energy - often through using as saturated colour and through impressionistic strokes of either brush, painting knife or pastel.

"I strive for something that has energy and which makes a bold statement, rather than trying to create mood or atmosphere," he said. "I like to suggest detail rather than fuss a picture to death and, like many painters, have been influenced by several schools and individuals.

"My heroes are Henri Matisse and the American watercolourist Frank Webb but if I could transpose myself in to any school, it would be into the Scottish colourists of the 20th century. "Colours have got to sing together in good harmonies and everything has got to be contained within a good design. I take comfort from the fact that even after 60 years of painting Frank Webb was still putting more of his work in the bin than in to frames. On that basis, I know I'm in good company!".

Cram took up painting in1983 when he bought a cheap child's watercolour box and tried out the medium during a rainy seaside caravan holiday. He paints mainly in watercolour and soft pastel but is currently taking a new direction based on the combined use of watercolour and ink.

He exhibits at several galleries, including Viridian, Keswick; Sharp Edge, Keswick; Percy House, Cockermouth and Lowes Court, Egremont. He retired from full-time employment in newspaper journalism in 2008 but alongside art, he is also a freelance writer.