Born in Perth, Scotland, Guild was educated at the Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design in Dundee, where he taught from 1992 until 2011, from 2019 until the present Derrick has been a lecturer on the painting programme at Grays School of Art Robert Gordons University Aberdeen.
Derrick says of his multi disciplined practice ” I’m attracted to artworks and approaches to making art from the past. Still -life, portraiture, botanical painting and natural history mix with influences from contemporary literature , contemporary art and film. I like to investigate and research works that stick with me ( I ask myself, what is it that makes them personally memorable ). To me approaches like botanical painting or still life have a validity and are not a closed systems, I see them more as theatres where I can present my ideas”.
Derrick has had many solo and group exhibitions both nationally and internationally, he was made a member of the Royal Scottish Academy