Born 2.6.60 in Aberdeen/Scotland.
Although already an artist in my youth it wasn't until later that I decided to pursue it for real.
Living in Edinburgh in the early 80s I had just about given up on art because my school years had been messed up in a hopelessly bad school in an British colony of Africa called Rhodesia, and I was shunned by any established Art Colleges for my lack of O'Levels.
But after catching up on my grades with further education (Stevenson College), I made a romantic decision to head off to a Greek island and experience a completely new lifestyle, as a kind of modern-day Robinson Crusoe.
After 3 long days with a Scottish alcoholic in a makeshift tent on an isolated beach I gave up on the Crusoe idea.
But I definitely wanted to stay away much longer. Anything was better than gloomy Thatcherism and the British addiction to newspapers.
After two action-packed years in the sun, sea and sand, and being betrayed by a girlfriend I decided it was time to go home accompanied by an English street magician I had just met. It seems like the break-up with my girlfriend and a silly incident with the local police were catalysts for my epiphany;
I realised that my purpose is to do art, to bring others joy with my creativity, and to rise above the life's confusions by making art.
With hitch-hiking and doing portraits of tourists I made the long journey back to Scotland. The rest is of course history....