A Life Rooted in Birmingham The story of William Arthur Breakspeare begins in the industrial heart of England, born in Birmingham, United Kingdom. As the son of John Breakspeare, a skilled flower painter within the local japanning trade, his early life was steeped in the fine details of decorative artistry. Before finding his true calling on the canvas, he underwent an apprenticeship as a decorator with Halbeard and Wellings, a period…