Garry Harper

GARRY HARPER was born in Glasgow in 1966. He studied at Glasgow School of Art from 1984 - 88. A love of the moving image led him to work as a designer for television and he worked as a graphic artist at STV for 20 years before taking the leap to paint full-time, with much success. His work is mainly figurative. Using a variety of techniques and media, he tries to capture lost moments, people caught in reflection. Seeking inspiration in people and places, past and present, he's fascinated by the mystery some images hold, making us curious as to who they were and what lives they lived. He has exhibited widely and he regularly takes on commissions, most recently a portrait of the dancer Kenny Burke, ex-director of Scottish Ballet. It was a great buzz working at STV, but I always painted, says Garry. The longing to paint full-time grew and grew. I love the reaction I get from people when they see my work. I am fuelled by drawing and painting people, and always have been. Even at school, teachers would give me photographs of their children to paint and I would earn pocket money that way.