Martin D. Cooke was born in Belfast in 1951. After leaving school he spent 5 years as an architectural draughtsman followed by a further 4 years in a successful restaurant business on Antrim's north west coast, thus combining his passion for painting and cooking In 1978 the success of his first one-man show prompted him to turn professional.

His focus then was entirely watercolour and when he returned to Belfast in 1980, he set up his own studio and workshop in his new marital home. Those early years were spent contacting galleries and developing skills as a master of watercolour landscape. Several successful exhibitions followed, including a show in New York USA, which established him with a good reputation.
<...