Known for his rustic scenes and knack for capturing the everyday charm of rural life, he once painted using brown ink made from oak galls collected near Masham woods. Despite his tranquil art, his life had quirks—he eloped with a clergyman's daughter and was rumored to sketch with both hands simultaneously. Though he worked in London and even Jamaica, he returned often to Masham, where his brush found endless inspiration in sheep, skies, and quirky countryside characters of the Dales.