Location: Canada
Originally from Scotland, I immigrated to Canada in 2014. I taught Art and Design in Scottish Further Education colleges for over 22 years. In that time I experimented with many different techniques, mediums and styles, refining my skills to produce many portrait commissions for private clients, family and friends.
I started experimenting with the layering of my work and the inclusion of photo montage and collage a few years ago as I wanted my art works to be more than just simple portraits, and as different as possible from other artist's work. I want each piece I create to really tell the story of the person’s life. Most of my new portrait works are created at quite a large scale and take many, many hours to complete as every single image in my complex and colourful background collages is cut out and pieced together by hand. In my portraits I use a wide variety of mediums including pencil, colour pencil, fine-line pen, graphic marker, acrylic paint, inks and cut and layered paper. I am heavily influenced by music, movies, sports, advertising, graphic novels, comic books, iconography and the Pop Art masters.
This is a large, multi-layered portrait of the famous Canadian ice hockey player, Wayne Gretzky. The background is comprised of many cut out images of Gretzky's life and amazing career in hockey. Each image was cut out and pasted together to form a colourful and complex collage, which is finished off with a large, golden maple leaf halo, rendered in acrylic paint and fine-line pens. The actual portrait of Gretzky was created using several layers of colour paper, with details rendered in pencil, colour pencil, fine-line pen, graphic marker and acrylic paint.
This portrait was created to portray Wayne Gretzky's life in one moment, but also to show the many cherished moments in his life.
This is the large, multi-layered background collage for my portrait of the famous Canadian ice hockey player, Wayne Gretzky. The background is comprised of many cut out images of Gretzky's life and amazing career in hockey. Each image was cut out and pasted together to form a colourful and complex collage, which is finished off with a large, golden maple leaf halo, rendered in acrylic paint and fine-line pens.
This is a close up detail of my Wayne Gretzky portrait, rendered in pencil, fine-line pen, graphic marker and acrylic paint.
The detailed portrait of Wayne Gretzky was created using several layers of colour paper, with details rendered in pencil, colour pencil, fine-line pen, graphic marker and acrylic paint.
“Saint Gretzky Body with Halo”
The detailed portrait of Wayne Gretzky was created using several layers of colour paper, with details rendered in pencil, colour pencil, fine-line pen, graphic marker and acrylic paint.
This is a large, multi-layered portrait of Dave Grohl from the Foo Fighters and Nirvana. The background is comprised of many cut out images of Grohl's life and amazing career in rock music. Each image was cut out and pasted together to form a colourful and complex collage. The actual portrait of Groh was created using layers of colour paper, with details rendered in pencil, colour pencil, fine-line pen and graphic marker.
This portrait was created to portray Dave Grohl's life in one moment, but also to show the many cherished moments in his life.
“(Extra)Ordinary Hero Cut Out”
This portrait of Dave Groh was created using layers of colour paper, with details rendered in pencil, colour pencil, fine-line pen and graphic marker.
“(Extra)Ordinary Hero Collage”
This background collage is comprised of many cut out images of Dave Grohl's life and amazing career in rock music. Each image was cut out and pasted together to form a colourful and complex collage.
This is a multi-layered portrait of Walt Disney. The background is comprised of many cut out images of Disney's famous cartoon characters. Each image was cut out and pasted together to form a colourful and complex collage in the shape of a heart. The actual portrait of Disney was created using one royal blue colour pencil.
The portrait was created around the urban myth that Disney had his head cryonically frozen when he died in 1966.
“Cool Head, Warm Heart Cut Out”
This detailed portrait of Walt Disney was created using one royal blue colour pencil.
“Cool Head, Warm Heart Collage”
This background collage is comprised of many cut out images of Disney's famous cartoon characters. Each image was cut out and pasted together to form a colourful and complex collage in the shape of a heart.
This is a detailed portrait of Michael J Fox looking to the past. It is rendered in pencil and fine-line pen.
“Past, Present and Future (Present)”
This is a detailed portrait of Michael J Fox looking to the present. It is rendered in colour pencil and fine-line pen.
“Past, Present and Future (Future)”
This is a detailed portrait of Michael J Fox looking to the future. It is rendered in a range of B Drawing pencils.
This is a multi-layered portrait of the famous Canadian musician, Neil Young. The background is comprised of many cut out images of Young's life, his amazing career in rock music and also images showing his activism against the large corporate companies in America. Each image was cut out and pasted together to form a colourful and complex collage. The actual portrait of Young was created by drawing on to a clear plastic sheet using permanent ink.
This background is comprised of many cut out images of Neil Young's life, his amazing career in rock music and also images showing his activism against the large corporate companies in America. Each image was cut out and pasted together to form a colourful and complex collage.
This portrait of Neil Young was created by drawing on to a clear plastic sheet using permanent ink.
“Monsanto Fears Preparatort Drawing”
This is a preparatory drawing of Neil Young created using fine-line pens and graphic markers.
“Saint Gretzky”
“Saint Gretzky Collage”
“Saint Gretzky Head/Halo”
“Saint Gretzky Body Cut Out”
“(Extra)Ordinary Hero”
“Cool Head, Warm Heart”
“Past, Present and Future (Past)”
“Monsanto Fears”
“Monsanto Fears Collage”
“Monsanto Fears Outline”
