Peter Sunderland was born in Rochdale, December 1931, and educated at Rochdale Grammar School for boys after which he went to Rochdale Art College and Manchester College of Art which was the foundation of an artistic career that has been the main strand of his life.

Before being called for National Service, which he spent in Egypt, he joined a Design Studio in Manchester, and, on his return, worked for the Calico Printers Association.

He became a textile designer, starting in the fashion trade but then moved into furnishings, eventually completing contract work for large hotel chains both un the UK and America.

In 1963, he embarked on a freelance career as a designer and painter, spending five years during the seventies...