Martin Collins was born in Gloucester in 1941. After studying Fine Art at Gloucestershire College of Art and Hornsey College of Art, London, he went on to teach art and design at Nottingham College. During this period he exhibited widely at venues in the Midlands and North of England, including the Cartwright Hall, Bradford and the Midland Group, Nottingham.

In the mid-1980s he moved with his family to the Conwy Valley in North Wales. For a number of years he worked freelance in the publishing field, and is the author of over 20 books on coastal and mountain walking in the UK and Europe.

Martin returned to his roots and resumed painting full time in 2002. His attempt to reflect the drama and beauty of the natural environment in paint has resulted in a vibrant body of work, largely based on the landscape of North Wales. His work is in many private collections throughout the UK, Europe and the US, and is particularly admired by those who love wild and natural places.

He says of his work: 'Inspiration comes from a glimpse, a vivid memory, or it can grow from being familiar with the subject, but whatever the trigger, developing the idea into a finished painting can be a difficult process. There is no formula for success, it is important that each painting is fresh and vibrant yet sensitive to the medium used. The best any artist can hope for is to communicate through his medium, something original, a unique vision that ignited the process in the beginning.'