"I always work in natural light, so there is nothing better than to sit outside"
I was born in 1960 into the small mining community of Springside a few miles outside the town of Kilmarnock on the west coast of Scotland. Life within the small Scottish village was very traditional and although I grew up in the 60’s era it felt more like the 40’s.
I escaped school in 1976 and eventually fled Springside to set myself up in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. This jump from sleepy peacefulness to hustle and bustle was like going from the frying pan straight into the fire. I found Newcastle had, and still has, its fair share of characters locally known as ‘Gadgies’ which fed me much inspiration later on in life when I finally discovered my destiny as an artist. After a number of different jobs I finally settled down in 1988 to become a professional artist. I am completely self-taught and after many years of developing my own style in art I turned to images remembered from my childhood and used the local Tyneside ‘Gadgies’ as models in my paintings.
After a number of sell out exhibitions one of my paintings was entered in the Daily Mail’s ‘Not the Turner Prize’. Ten thousand works were entered and my painting was chosen as one of the finalists which were exhibited at the Mall Galleries in London.
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