At 92, artist Frank Bowling has painted a lot of things, but the most colorful might be his own life story. Born in British Guiana (now Guyana) and now a Royal Academician with a Tate Britain retrospective under his belt, Bowling sat down for a Q&A that covered everything from his guiltiest pleasure (Lagavulin 16-year-old whisky, against doctor's orders) to his most embarrassing moment (dressing as a Christmas pudding at the Chelsea Arts Club ball in the 1950s, complete with swimming trunks and holly in his hair).

Bowling, whose exhibition 'Seeking the Sublime' is at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge until January 2027, describes himself as 'needing order always' and names his greatest achievement as 'being able to paint the way I do.' He deplores boozing in himself and authority in others, keeps himself awake at night worrying about his work's shape, and hopes to meet his parents in heaven - though he suspects his policeman father might greet him with a 'You can't come and live here, boy!'

When not fighting off accusations of being a flaneur from fellow artists, Bowling dreams of making bigger pictures - specifically, adding wings to his 13-metre-wide painting 'Into the Blue.' His advice for life: 'Keep working, improving your step.' And maybe skip the Christmas pudding costume.