Born in Watford, England, Mead studied at the Watford School of Art; and with Gilbert Spencer at the Slade School, London, England (1937-1941; and with Randolf Schwab in France. He came to Toronto, Ontario in 1946. Working in oil, watercolour,acrylic, ink, monotypes and collage, he is known for his non-objective paintings, often creating a single colour canvas. His early work included still life, figures and landscape. Mead was a member of Painters Eleven. He died in Toronto. He held a solo exhibition of his work at the RMG in 1982, and he is represented in the collections of AGO, NGC, NMAG and WAG.