Robert Sawtell grew up on the Welsh Marches, amid the Shropshire hills, walking the hills nearly every weekend. By the age of five he had been to the top of every hill in Shropshire. This love of the countryside stayed with him and this is what flows out of his work. He gained a BA (Hons) Degree in Fine Art in 1986 at Newcastle upon Tyne. He worked as an Architectural illustrator for a number of notable Architectural firms for over fifteen years in London and the West coast of the United States in Los Angeles, San Diego and Seattle. He now lives in Monmouthshire, walking, painting and drawing the surrounding area and further afield to paint the sea and marine subjects