Austin was born ini 1930 in Tiverdale, which in those days was part of South Staffordshire. After qualifying as an engineer he took up a career as a lectureer based at the University of Wolverhampton. For many years therefore his artwork was forced into second place, but since his retirement he has been able to devote the majority of his time to doing what he loves and his atmospheric paintings have become highly sought-after.
Austin's richly textured, evocative compositions are created in oils with the exclusive use of a palette knife. His primary interest is in the countryside and rural pursuits of the Black Country, especially in the early morning and evening, when the sun is low, whether visible or not. He includes figures to add an element of human interest as well as a suggestion of scale. These tend to introduce a certain lightness and almost gently humourous touch to each image.
Austin's work has been displayed to great acclaim all across the UK.