I am a Cape Town-based artist and designer. In the 1980s and 1990s, when I was living in London, I was also a travel writer. I co-authored Rough Guides to South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Botswana, so I spent a lot of time in safari places watching animals. I also became fascinated with the way people look at wildlife.

I've always enjoyed antique natural history engravings, and numerous vintage images of African animals exist in archives. I particularly like some of the wilder engravings of pre-Victorian artists. I had the idea of colouring them to give them new life.

A couple of years later, while watching Downton Abbey, the idea came to me of applying my techniques to tongue-in-cheek prints characterising various animals as members of a fading social upper crust. This led to my series of Animabilia Prints, using the collage techniques I had developed for the greeting cards.

I also paint and design customised fabric for re-upholstering and recycling chairs. Visit www.tonyp.art to see examples of my paintings and upcycled furniture.