Born Newmills, Ayrshire, 17 Sept; died Aberdeen 6 Dec. Painter in oil, charcoal and pastel but mostly watercolour; landscape, often in winter, and portraits. Painted a lot on Skye, Arran, the western seaboard and in Provence. Son of a GP who was also Provost of Stonehaven, he came to that town when he was two. Educated Mackie Academy, Stonehaven. Trained at Gray’s School of Art 1929-33 under D M Sutherland. Helped by a travelling scholarship he went for further training to Paris. In addition to the influence of Sutherland he was deeply affected by de Vlaminck. Always fascinated by the north-east of Scotland, ‘the rugged intensity of marginal land’, including its coastline to which he returned in mid career. Spent most of 1937 restoring the heraldic wall panels at Monymusk House. In 1938 joined the staff of the Central School in Belmont St, Aberdeen, remaining there until his retirement. In 1940 married an art teacher, Kathleen McLean. During WW2 he served in the RAF, producing a memorable series of drawings of comrades.

Elected RSW 1957. Exhibited frequently AAS 1933-85, RSA (6) and GI (2), latterly from Norwood, Stonehaven. Represented in Glasgow AG, Aberdeen AG, Paisley AG, Caird Institute (Greenock), Newport AG (Monmouthshire).