Born in Lanarkshire, Scotland in 1953 - and now based in the historic village of Kilmartin in Argyll - I have been painting and drawing for as long as I can remember.

My father, who went under the name of Mackean Stewart, produced many excellent artworks until his death in 2010. His Kintyre paintings were particularly popular and prints & cards of his work are still available.

Time at Edinburgh College of Art under the tutelage of Hugh Buchanan confirmed my desire to turn professional.

My wife Gill and I ran a successful gallery (The Oystercatcher Gallery) in Campbeltown, Kintyre - winning a Business of the Year Award in 1994. We sold the business in 2011 and Gill is now continuing her floral work for weddings and events as Gill Stewart Flowerscape, a business which is has seen her become recommended florist at a number of venues including Powerscourt in Ireland.

I found myself being asked to do photography work and photographed at over 100 weddings between 2010 and 2012, and with some considerable success. However, painting, drawing and illustration remain my principal passion, with watercolour and gouache my preferred media for painting, but I also work in acrylic and pastels when the occasion seems to demand it.

I have created illustrations for books and magazines (and am currently working on some illustrations for book projects of my own). Recently published is “A Shrew Danced on My Paintbox”, about my love of the Crinan Canal.

I have also been involved in a number of public artworks and projects.

I was Chairman of Artmap Argyll, the Artists Open Studio Network from 2009 to 2012, and was Vice-Chairman in 2013.

My work is represented in many private collections in Britain, Europe, Australia, Canada and the United States.