Scottie Wilson remained a prolific artist in the later years of his life, with his style becoming more symmetrical than his organic early work. However he continued to use many of the same motifs. Wilson’s childhood spent in Glasgow remained a great influence on him throughout his life. As the son of a taxidermist’s assistant, some critics have suggested that the frozen quality of the fish and birds in his paintings may have been influenced by seeing stuffed animals as a child. Moreover, fish, birds and trees are common motifs in his work and these three symbols feature on the crest of the City of Glasgow.