He traveled to Leningrad (now St. Petersburg, Russia), to design sets and some of the costumes for the movie "The Blue Bird".
He played league cricket for Yorkshire and won cricket colors for University College in London.
He attended the Slade School of Fine Art, and taught music at the Royal Military School of Music to fulfill his National Service. He decided to pursue painting as a career.
He is a widely admired author and illustrator of children's books.