John Vallins came first came to this area to teach English at King’s School, Bruton in 1956, not long after Bruton Art Society was founded.  It was after retirement from teaching in 1992 that, having been an occasional sketcher and painter over the years,  he joined Ron Jesty’s watercolour class in Yeovil.  Since then , he has exhibited regularly in the Bruton Art Society and Sherborne Art Club’s exhibitions, and at the Royal Bath and West Show.