Philip was born in Cork, Ireland, in 1959. From the age of 5 he loved art, and one of his earliest memories is being tutored in figurative drawing by a family friend, Trevor Scott, the founder of the renowned College of Art and Design in Dublin.
At the age of 16, Philip left school and joined the Irish Navy. Once he had established himself as a naval diver, he began to paint at sea and soon became prolific. He had the great advantage of having a unique perspective on Irish landscapes and seascapes as viewed from the Atlantic Ocean.
