Geoff Machin was born in the North East Derbyshire mining village of Whitwell. In 1954, he began his formal art education at Chesterfield College of Art. Two years later, having been awarded a County Major Art Scholarship, he moved to Chelsea School of Art.
At the end of his first year there, he was joint winner of the 1957 Biddulph Scholarship. After completing an ATD course at the University of London Institute of Education, he began teaching in 1959.
Over the years, he held appointments in various parts of the country, including Head of Art and Design at Belper High School and at Dudley College, and Senior Lecturer at Hereford College of Education and at Keswick Hall, Norwich.
Throughout his teaching career, Geoff Machin maintained a serious commitment to his own painting, exhibiting in major group shows such as the John Moores Painting Prize at the Walker Art Gallery. In addition to exhibitions in private galleries, he has held solo exhibitions in several municipal galleries, including Derby Museum and Art Gallery.
His work is represented in private, corporate, and public collections, including those of Arts Council England.