David Cobley is one of the UK's leading portrait painters. He was short-listed for the prestigious John Player (now the BP) Portrait Award in 1989 and elected a member of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters in 1997. Among his many commissions he has painted HRH The Princess Royal, Princess Anne, and in 2004 his portrait of Ken Dodd OBE was bought by the National Portrait Gallery, London for its permanent collection. He has exhibited regularly at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition and held solo exhibitions of his work at Beaux Arts and the Victoria Art Gallery in Bath, as well as Messum's in London.David is also a member of the New English Art Club and the Royal West of England Academy.