Stephen Mclaren

I live near Edinburgh with my wife and son. We enjoy walks, road trips, food, music and fire.

When I was growing up, I loved Escher, Dali, Bruegel and Bosch. These influences stayed with me until my art developed as I began to appreciate the power and symbolism of ethnic art - from Celtic art to Inuit sculpture; from African masks to Aboriginal design.

In my mind, Ethnic art represents the spiritual connection we have in many ways lost. So I wanted my art to somehow rediscover this connection, not only to the earth, but to ourselves. We find our primal instincts in ancient art. Survival, animal, food, fire, water, sun, moon, hunter, hunted, tribe, belonging, home, ceremony, fight, fear, love. These instincts remain, despite the all the technology and distractions that surround us. We are still connected first and foremost, to each other and the earth.

Nature, light and imagination twist around in my head and I conjure up surreal forms and mask-like paintings which try to be ambiguous: sometimes with meaning, sometimes without. Often spontaneous and often with an intended message.

Humanity, respect and self-awareness are very important to me. I dream that socialism and empowerment can defeat the destructive disorder that suffoc...

Dundee College of Commerce 1986

Gray's School of Art, Aberdeen, Scotland 1990

Scottish Society of Artists - RSA Edinburgh
Royal Glasgow Institute - Mitchell Library, Glasgow
Moray House Edinburgh
Public art Edinburgh
Exhibitions in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Fife and the Highlands
Festival Shows, Edinburgh
Studio Gallery, Edinburgh
Studio Gallery, St Andrews
Inchmore Gallery, near Inverness

Wonderful buyers from Iowa to Napoli, Cardiff to Vancouver, Dundee to DC (Washington :-))