Other than landscapes , animals and birds are the principle source of inspiration for my work . Just as animals don't possess the power of speech , the visual image does not ,as a rule communicate verbally either . I find this to be an interesting theme. I was awarded the Geoffrey Vivas prize for my painting 'Pug" last year by the Royal Society of British Artists. I work in many mediums , oils, acrylic, pastels , watercolour ,charcoal and pencil .