Given the question: Facts: - bgcolour: # 6495ed - training: apprenticed to richard berry - patrons: peter hall , adam jones - spouse: rachel thomson -lrb- 1993 -- present -rrb- - field: portraiture , fine art - offspring: callum kiki hale thomson -lrb- b. 1999 -rrb- hale thomson -lrb- b. 1996 -rrb- , avalon - birth date: 1963 - awards: third portrait award 2001 bp portrait award 2000 , joint second bp - name: philip oliver hale - nationality: american - influenced: jon thomson foster , jeremy geddes , avalon kiki hale - birth place: boston , massachusetts Based on these bullet points, write a short biography describing the life of phil hale .
The answer is:
philip oliver hale -lrb- born in 1963 -rrb- , is an american figurative painter who currently resides in london , england .prior to turning to fine arts he worked as an illustrator , doing mostly figurative work .he was apprenticed to / partnered with american painter rick berry .his current work focuses on figure as well , in depictions of slightly surreal scenes with strange characters performing various physical feats , usually in a confrontation of some sort .he seems to take keen interest in tension and emphasis of angular and dynamic aspects of the figure , almost always incorporating slight anatomical distortions to great effect .a portrait of former uk prime minister , tony blair by the artist was unveiled in westminster on april 23 , 2008 .mr blair sat for the portrait during his final months in office in 2007 .he also recently formed the movie production company '' unprofessional.com '' with his son callum hale thomson .it specialises in bespoke analogue filmmaking .