I am a Scottish figurative artist living in Germany. I work in a variety of media and specialize on the human figure and landscapes. My paintings and drawings primarily show the female figure in a variety of experimental tones and colours.
I spent the most of my artistic career doing portraits using life models or photographic sources.
I also explore classic subjects such as landscapes and still lives as an examination of spiritual elements and how we add to or contribute to the physical universe. For me, the realist approach is the greatest way to do this.
I suppose I am influenced by a desire to capture the Infinity of ephemeral moments within an infinite number of moments. Painting and drawing are a never-ending source of inspiration for me, and I believe in constant experimentation within a framework of artistic fundamentals. I wish to elevate life above the laws of physics by creating interactive beauty.
Influences include Hopper, Warhol, Dali, Picasso, Erich Fichtl, and Monet to mention a few.
My artistic career began in mid-eighties London where I worked as a professional portrait artist, whilst taking life-drawing classes at St. Martins School of Art
Despite tempting offers to work as a fashion designer on London’s King’s Road, or exhibit in a New York gallery, I kept to my path. I simply loved drawing and painting people, and I wasn’t ready for New York.
Fate had me destined for Europe, namely Bavaria, where I had my first solo exhibitions and developed my career as an artist for real.
Later I moved to the east of Berlin.
Born 2.6.60 in Aberdeen/Scotland into an artistic family.
Emigrated in 1975 to Rhodesia (Zimbabwe). Won my first art prizes at secondary school which I left in 1977. After 2 years working I returned to Scotland.
I took part in a group art exhibition in Edinburgh and furthered my education at Stevenson College.
In the spring of 1981 I left for Greece where I began making a living from my art whilst doing other jobs to survive. I stayed there for 18 months and then went to France (Bordeaux area) and stayed there for 8 months. Here I sold some artwork and got to know some painters in an artist´s village called Mornac.
From 1983 to 1988 I lived and worked as a portrait artist on the streets of London and became a member of the “Westend Portrait Society”. At the same time I studied life drawing at St. Martin´s School of Art. , whilst learning other stuff from various professional artists.
After a short spell in Brighton I came to Germany. I met the famous "Uli" who helped me with my first solo exhibition and I decided to continue my career here. This resulted in a flood of commissions and my being employed as an art teacher. Many exhibitions followed thereafter in Landsberg/lech and its surroundings, including Munich.
In 1994 I came to Brandenburg to do artwork for a company and ended up staying. I now live in a town east of Berlin called Fuerstenwalde where I have my studio and own gallery. I also give weekly art lessons to children and adults.
People sometimes ask me this so I'll tell you. At primary school we were told to paint the house where we lived. I must have been 5 years old. Well, the painting was on an easel of some kind and the paint was running like mad. I got very upset about this. I just knew it was supposed to come out good.
Another time was at secondary school in Africa. I had won the school art prize and we were doing a rehearsal for the prizegiving later that evening. The headmaster was up front and he told all the other boys there to watch out for me on the night when I return to my seat because "he's an artist, he'll get lost".
I took this lightly and eventually the evening arrived I went up to get the prize and headed back to my seat. I went too far and got lost, but I found my seat eventually.
Lots of work to do, commissions. I have lived from my art for nearly 30 years now and I still love it. It's a game of survival in the end. But I am doing art to make this world a better place.
Today I am feeling weird and weirder. I live in the eastern part of Germany, the former GDR and I have just had a visit from my older sister and her husband who live in the country I come from i.e. Scotland. I rapidly switched back to my native English tongue, was affected by the British humour, and subsequently felt strange living here.Towards the end of their visit my brother in law wanted to stay here the whole Summer. Now, my minor pangs of homesick blues melted in the continental heat as they returned to Scotland and 10°C. My sister had asked me this time "Where do you feel at home?" It was a good question.
