Stephen graduated in sculpture from Glasgow School of Art in 1992 and has worked as an artist in residence and exhibited sculptors in Callendar Park – Falkirk and Kildrummy Castle Aberdeenshire before embarking on a career in teaching.

Stephen has been teaching Art as a secondary school teacher in the West of Scotland since 1995. During this time teaching Stephen has continued to produce his own work but has moved away from sculpture and more towards painting (his first love prior to art school).

Stephen’s work is primarily concerned with light and the impact it has on the landscape. He aims to create atmosphere in his work through colour, mark making, texture and composition. He will sketch outdoors and take photographs for reference, before returning to his studio to paint. He uses mixed media, acrylic and oil paint.

He has exhibited and sold his work in a number of group exhibitions as well as receiving commissions. These include, Paisley Art Institute, RGI, Aberdeen Artist Society annual exhibition and RSW. Many of Stephens recent landscapes were created from sketches and photographs Stephen gathered from places he could walk to during lock down from March 2020. The restrictions allowed him to appreciate the beautiful local landscape around Craigallian at the start of the West Highland Way and the area around Bardowie and capture the shift in scenery that’s created by time, light and weather conditions.