Sam Motherwell came to Cambridge in 1968 for a two-year science job – and one thing led to another. His early work tended to be small typically 3 x 3 inches, pen and ink with watercolour, and often of the area of Cambridge where he still lives, in Gwydir St., off Mill Road.

He became a member of the Cambridge Drawing Society in 1976. His material is drawn from everyday life, not the grandiose or picturesque. Abiding themes have been that of the Victorian terraced houses, the railway bridge, unpretentious shops. Also, perhaps because of being born in a seaside village in Northern Ireland, he has always found fruitful subjects in working fishing boats and harbours.

He began to sell pictures frequently through the Cambridge Drawing Society, moving into larger format charcoal drawings on colour wash, and a series of imaginary helmeted heads of soldiers in oils.

In 2003 he had his first one-man show at Michaelhouse, entitled ‘The Quick and the Dead’. This series of about 25 charcoal drawings was based on Mill Road Cemetery, done on the spot, always incorporating something that happened at the time. He attempted to catch the balance between the many living and quick (blackbirds, dogs, bicycles, joggers, and even once two tearaway youths on a moped) and the graceful decay of the tombstones and ivy amid the green birdsong of spring. (This sold very well giving him great encouragement!).

His natural inclination is to graphic representation, with strong lines, without slavish attention to detail and perspective. He is currently building up a series of drawings of Mill Road, the exciting cultural mix of people being the prime interest. He finds endless variety in observing the commonplace - the backs of houses are so much richer than the front facades.