Initially it was my fish images which attracted buyers and gallery owners. When I applied to the first Brighton Art Fair, one of the organisers emailed me to say "I'm familiar with your fish fetish, Troy. You're in!"

My paintings are truly mixed media. For example, in 'Moorish Idols', I incorporate splatters of paint and drips of ink to bring the power and beauty of the water to life. The fish themselves are painted in delicate watercolour washes, exploiting the natural transparency of the medium to create the effect of viewing them under water. I couldn't resist adding expressive pen and ink lines to bring out the characters of the individual fish.