I was born in Rottenrow and grew up in Wishaw. I then chose Milngavie as my home, so I’ve not travelled very far. Not exactly the ‘exotic world tour’ for me. My life and work have always been Glasgow-based, something of which I’m very proud.
My father is a superb watercolourist, and my uncle David was the staff artist at DC Thompson, drawing cartoons for The Beano and The Dandy. So, it’s hardly surprising that growing up with such amazing role models sparked my fascination in art.
When I left school, I landed a job as a junior artist in a busy advertising agency. I was young and eager to impress, quickly going from making tea and running errands to supplying the account executives with sketch ideas and then finished artwork for major newspapers and magazines.
At the same time, I started studying at the prestigious Glasgow School of Art. After a while, I also put together a business plan, took out a small bank loan, and started my own, ultimately very successful, picture framing business.
I then joined a local art club with its own annual summer exhibition. Thankfully, my paintings sold really well and soon local art galleries began approaching me. Over the next two decades I juggled my framing business and my growing artistic popularity.
Eventually, I decided to retire the business and focus on painting full-time. Seven years later, I’m delighted to say my painting career has flourished. I now have a very wonderful and contented life painting for pleasure.
My work has been purchased by fabulous clients, not only in Scotland but all over the world. Including the USA, Hong Kong and Australia. Some even have multiple pieces. One very good client indeed has 50 of my paintings.
The internet has helped tremendously with my success. Although I’ve always sold quite well on social media and gallery websites, I noticed a massive increase in sales during the pandemic. When we first went into lockdown in 2020, people turned to the internet for new way to shop and entertain themselves. Now the world is open again, I’m grateful to say online sales have continued at a steady rate.
Fantastic as the internet is, especially with what it’s done for my career, I don’t think anything can replace the awe and impact of seeing an original art piece in a gallery setting. So, I’m extremely pleased to have my latest solo show at Annan Gallery here in Glasgow.
I love dealing with them because they totally ‘get me’ and work tirelessly on my behalf. They also understand the importance of leveraging technology like social media and making the work accessible online. Things like 3D visual aids and mock-ups have really helped promote the exhibition.
Every part of the process means a lot to me. Painting the picture itself, hand finishing the frame – I’m responsible for all of it. Seeing it live in a gallery gives me great pleasure. It’s taken 30 years to get where I am. My first five or six years as a self-employed artist were a real challenge – but now, painting is paying off!
' Objective Perspective’ ,a solo exhibition of Gordon Wilson’s new paintings, will be at the Annan Gallery, Glasgow until 25th September. For more information, visit:
www.annanart.com
