My interest in the natural world has always been with me. Both my father and grandfather were keen countrymen, and some of my earliest memories are of exploring the countryside with my dad, and visiting my grandparents' house in the appropriately named 'Cricket Hill' in Finchampstead, Berkshire, where I would race to a small cabinet in the corner of their living room, to stare at my granddad's modest collection of butterflies and moths. So, it follows that my main interest in my working life has also been insects and other invertebrates. For the artist/illustrator there can be no area of greater diversity, with an infinite range of shapes, colours and textures, and with more species than one could ever hope to illustrate in many lifetimes. Of all the insect groups, butterflies are at the top of the pecking order of popularity, and although I have illustrated examples of all insect orders, it is only a few groups that attract enough attention to encourage publishers to give them the full, field guide treatment. Over the past thirty years, I've managed to cover most of these more popular groups, and have had the pleasure of meeting and working with some of the most respected, knowledgeable and interesting people, who have inspired me to attempt to do justice to the subjects that they write of so eloquently and always with such enthusiasm.

As well as invertebrates I also occasionally paint vertebrates - mammals, amphibians, reptiles and birds, though not often the latter if I can help it, as some may know of the other 'Lewington' illustrator, my younger brother Ian, who is much better at them than am I. Take a look at his website, Ian Lewington, and you'll see how good he is. We have collaborated on a couple of titles, The Natural History of the Oak Tree and Guide to Garden Wildlife and I think his garden birds are unsurpassed.

Sometimes, I stray away from the natural world, for example in 2008 I was commissioned by Waitrose to paint Easter Eggs, but even then, they were made into a mini Easter egg field guide for chocoholics. It was galling that they printed 750,000 copies, which were seen by far more people than would ever see my 'proper' illustrations. I still have a few of the originals here ... (going cheep - ha ha!).