Welcome to my website!

Hi -  I'm William and with my wife Libby live on the Black Isle in the Scottish Highlands.

I love doing landscapes outdoors - 'plein air' - but there's also an awful lot of indoor work - in the studio! The idea of 'premier coup' - doing the whole thing in one go - is great but in practice the on-the-spot work is just a start. Lots more challenges and changes are needed in the studio. Whoever says painting is easy! It's not - it's difficult!

Portraits too are a big part and they just seem to have grown. Some of these are very quick 10 minute 'portrait-sketches' done live at public events. Others are a lot more considered, often involving hours in the studio. The challenge is for both a good likeness and also a special picture. If only more people could sit for portraits! But you have to be realistic, so a lot of work is done from photographs and it is amazing how well they can work.

The studio is close to our home in Fortrose and is base-camp for working in oils, pastel, charcoal, pen-and-watercolour.

This website  reflects a diversity, from Landscapes and Portraits, to portrait sketches, Africa images, Church images and Abstracts. The images also cover a variety of different years!

I have always loved painting even though I have had careers in journalism and then in the Anglican Church - as a Vicar! Yes really! So there’s not been much time for anything else. Retirement in 2010 has given more time for the painting but as every artist knows time is always a battle!

I am basically self-taught but come from a family of artists and we all encourage each other.  Over the years there have been lots of landscapes and portraits - some sold and some given away. 

Now as a member of the Art Society of Inverness and the Redcastle Art Group I value very much the teaching and encouragement from others.  Ideas and tips come from all sorts of study and courses. One of the earliest was six-months' life-drawing at the Academie Julian in Paris where I was  supposed to be learning French as well. I can't say I excelled at either!  But it was a privilege. I loved Paris and the wonderful galleries, particularly the Impressionists, have been an inspiration for life.

I have had a number of exhibitions and solo shows as well as requests along the way for a variety of art-work, articles and talks.

Libby and I are blessed with  three wonderful children and three grand-children. Life is not dull!

Just click on one of the 'galleries' above and enjoy a good browse!

William,  January 2022