Derek Holland (1927-2014) was a well-known painter, draughtsman and art teacher. He was born in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, and studied art at Chesterfield College of Art 1952-54, and then at the Central School of Arts & Crafts in London 1954-57. He was an instructor at the Central School 1957-59 and later became head of the art department at Plymouth College 1959-73. During the 1960s he exhibited colourfield abstracts with the Redfern Gallery. In 1974 he visited France and began then to make drawings and paintings of French towns and villages, especially in the countryside. Derek Holland was elected a member of the Society of Mural Painters in 1958 and of the Newlyn Society in 1984. He exhibited his work widely including at The Leicester Galleries in London W1, Redfern Gallery 1966-74, The London Group, Victoria & Albert Museum, and Plymouth City Art Gallery and Plymouth Arts Centre. He lived in Plymouth for many years. An example of his work is held by Plymouth City Art Gallery.