Alexander millar artist biography

Ayrshire born Alexander Millar, one of the UK’s most loved and collectable artists, is a self-taught, contemporary impressionist artist, whose work depicts the small wonder of the everyday.

He is one of the few living artists in the UK who have had museum exhibitions in Newcastle (The Great North: Hancock), Glasgow (Scotland Street Museum) and New York (The Fire Dept. Museum of New York).

Hi work has also been displayed in public venues, such as shopping centres and metro carriages , as well as being used as scenic backdrops for theatrical productions.

His atmospheric landscapes capture memories of life in the 50's and 60's and his impressionist brush strokes and tones create a romantic view of that era, often playing with the effect of light as it is reflected on a wet tiled roof, transporting the viewer back to the cityscapes of their own childhood.

From an early age he has viewed his surroundings and the people he grew up with as if they were a carefully choreographed street ballet: old men on bikes coming home from a hard day’s graft, the gossiping women standing on the street corner or the working man staggering home after a payday night on the town.

Scottish painter Alexander Millar is one of the UK's most popular contemporary artists. Born and raised in the small mining community of Springside, just outside the town of Kilmarnock on the west coast of Scotland, Millar's earliest memories were of his time spent in the company of old men dressed in dark suits smoking woodbines and large missile-shaped women decked out in big overcoats, pinnies, tartan headscarves and zipped booties, adorned with fake fur around the top.

Has gained a large following for his sometimes humorous, sometimes moving pieces featuring solitary figures.

He is completely self taught, and after many years of developing his own style in art he turned to images remembered from his childhood and used the local Scottish 'Gadgies' as models in his paintings.

In his own words: "I am fortunate enough in that the things I love to paint are right in front of my eyes everyday.

The hairs on the back of my neck still stand on end every time I see an old 'Gadgie'. I love the movement of the street drunk; however he remains a difficult subject to paint - never staying still for any length of time.

The real skill comes in trying to capture the just off centre stance of these vertically challenged individuals. The gossiping old ladies standing

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