Ray Brooks was born in 1950 in South London and later moved to Wantage and Oxford, he became a Member of the Royal Drawing Society before going on to the Oxford School of Art and Design.   In 1967 he started work as an Architectural Technician with the Bullingdon Rural District Council.   After that he worked  on design, display and signage for several prominent companies including the Southern Gas Board, Selfridges and the Lewis Partnership.   He has been variously a book designer and illustrator for a number of publishers.   In 1988 he moved to Wales where he was much in demand for his Interior Design and life sized Murals, many examples of which can still be seen in Cardiff, Pembroke and Cardigan.   Since then he has concentrated on fine art and produces paintings in acrylics and water colours of stunning quality, mostly scenes in and around North Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion.