Born in Canada, Lawrenson-Reid was raised in England and first exhibited his paintings in Nottingham as a child. He was strongly influenced by the culture of the 1960s, which remains the essence of his creativity. He moved to Cornwall during the 1980s.

His work has been exhibited at the Birmingham Arts Centre, the Plymouth Guildhall, Newlyn Art Gallery and the Eclipse Gallery in Penzance. He is a regular exhibitor at STISA open shows.