He continued as a deep-sea fisherman on the Newfoundland run in the early days of his marriage, which allowed him to earn a good wage.

The family moved to St Ives, Cornwall, in 1890 where he established himself as a marine stores dealer, buying scrap iron, sails, rope and other items.

By fortunate coincidence, in 1928, a few years after he had started painting, Ben Nicholson and Christopher Wood came to St Ives and established an artist colony.

An elaborate gravestone, made from tiles by the potter Bernard Leach and depicting a tiny mariner at the foot of a huge lighthouse – a popular motif in Wallis's paintings – covers the tomb.

[4] In one of his last letters, to Ede, he wrote:[4] i am thinkin of givin up The paints all to gether i have nothin But Persecution and gelecy [jealousy] and if you can com [come] down for an hour or 2 you can take them with you and give what they are worf [worth] afterwards.

These drawers and shopes are all jealous of me.Examples of Wallis's paintings can be seen at the Tate St Ives and at Kettle's Yard in Cambridge (Jim Ede's home).