Slim pickings on the exhibiting front this winter, as I’ve been a bit preoccupied with this adventure:
But a handful of my paintings can be found along with an eclectic mix of 19th Century, 20th Century and contemporary artists, at the Blythswood Gallery. Caution – the proprietor, Mr. Harris, has an intelligent eye but a sharp manner.
click to enlarge
Ewan McClure 
I saw your work on the Sky Arts programme. Very inspiring. The competition was a high standard, but you were the deserved winner. I hope it kick starts some attention to your talents. I watched it with the kids, and was mightily impressed when you had been ‘in training’ for a while beforehand. It reminded me that Michael Jordan, arguably the best basketball player of all time, had a shooting average about 40% – meaning he missed 6 out of 10 times. Practice really does make everything better.
Thank you Mike – I hope the lesson won’t be lost on your kids!
It was only when I upped my portrait output from a study every-now-and-then, between still lifes, to at least one per week, that I finally overcame a discouraging anxiety about the genre. And you’re right – it’s simply about practice.
A tip for any future entrants reading this – you’d do well to fit in an occasional practice with someone watching. It’s very distracting until you learn to focus, in spite of their presence.