ARTIST STATEMENT
"I am a painter deeply intrigued by the dynamic relationship between realism and the contrasting process of creating from imagination and memory. I am heavily influenced by the beauty of the natural world around me and how I can interact with it using imagined narratives and memories.
My process consists of meticulously constructing and staging three-dimensional scenes using paper, photography, drawings and found items to create compositions, these can take the form of landscapes, still lifes, or abstracted paper constructions, which I then use as a reference for my paintings. I tend to use paper as a tool to integrate elements of drawing from memory into realistic paintings, blurring the lines between observation and imagination. I am fascinated how these two very different elements can work together on the same canvas.
Donald’s paintings are held in many private collections worldwide. In addition to this he was selected as the Scottish representative for the Johnson and Mead International Exhibition in the USA, and in 2009 his painting Broken Heart was accepted in to the BP Portrait Award Exhibition. In 2013 he exhibited a commissioned painting in the Imperial War Museum in Manchester and later won a place in the 7th Figurativas painting and sculpture exhibition, held in the European Museum of Modern Art, Barcelona. In 2017 he won the Public Choice Award at the Art Gemini Prize and more recently he has been shown at the Columbia Threadneedle Prize (2018), The Lynn Painter Stainers Prize (2019), The Scottish Portrait Awards (2019), The Westmorland Landscape Prize (2019) and The Royal Scottish Academy (2019,2020 ) 2024 (Tatha Gallery Prize and RSA Maud Gemmell Hutchison Bequest winner),ING Discerning EYE Exhibition 2024 (Scottish Regional Prize Winner).
Below are some selected exhibitions.
2001-spirit of life -cafe mekur-copenhagen
2002-2 man show-scotlandart
2002-glasgow art fair
2003-glasgow art fair
2003-london affordable art fair
2004-group exhibition-scotlandart
2004-commissioned presentation to the first minister of scotland
2004-scotland on sunday home supplement
2005-dublin art fair
2005-group show-scotlandart
2006-group show-karen taylor gallery
2006-group show-scotlandart
2006-one man show-edinburgh scotlandart
2007-spring selection show-glasgow
2007-london art fair
2007-house of beauly-ealain gallery
2007-loch lomond golf club-private event-ealain gallery
2007-barclays scottish open-loch lomond-ealain gallery
2008-london art fair
2008-glasgow art fair
2008-homes and interiors magazine
2008-six figures-scotlandart edinburgh
2008-amsterdam art fair
2008-edinburgh art art fair
2008-glasgow herald article
2008-shortlisted for Standard Chartered Commission 2008
2009-shortlisted for Mead Johnson Nutritional Commission USA
2009-scottish representitive for johnson nutritional international exhibition
2009-London Art Fair
2009-BP portrait Prize Exhibition, National Portrait Gallery, London
2010-Summer Exhibition, Blackheath Gallery
2010-In Your Face, Blackheath Gallery
2011-The Scottish Show, Oakham Gallery
2011-The London Art Fair, scotlandart.com
2011-The Battersea Art Fair, Panter and Hall
2011-The Singapore Art Fair, Panter and Hall
2011-Bethany Christian Trust Auction
2011-Homes and Interiors Scotland
2012-The scottish Show. Panter and Hall
2012-The Battersea Art Fair, Panter and Hall
2012-The Singapore Art Fair. Panter and Hall
2012/13- "the silent battle"-the imperial war museum north
2013-the scottish show, Panter and Hall
2013-the battersea art fair, Panter and Hall
2013-the Sinagapore art fair, Panter and Hall
2013-the hong kong art fair, Panter and Hall
2013-the 7th figurativas painting and sculpture exhibition, european gallery of modern art, barcelona
2014-the scottish show, Panter and Hall
2014-the Singapore art fair, Panter and Hall
2104-the hong kong art fair, Panter and Hall
2014-paper people solo show, Panter and Hall
2014-battersea art fair- Panter and Hall
2015-the Scottish show- Panter and Hall
2015-2019, Annual Solo show-Panter and Hall
2017- Art Gemini, Public Choice Award
2018- Columbia Threadneedle Exhibition
2019- Scottish Portrait Awards
2019- Lynn Painter Stainers Exhibition
2019- RSA Open Exhibition
2020- RSA Open Exhibition
2020-2024 Byard Art, Winter and Summer Exhibitions
2024- RSA Open Exhibition, (Tatha Gallery Prize and RSA Maud Gemmell Hutchison Bequest winner
2024 – ING Discerning Eye Exhibition, Scottish Regional Prize Winner
2025 – Byard Art, Summer Exhibition
2025 – New York Art Fair, Signet Contemporary Art Gallery
Education
1995-1999
Robert Gordons University, Aberdeen
B.A Hons- Fine Art, Painting