'I graduated from Aberdeen University, studying History of Art, Classical Civilization, Geography. I worked in catering, hospitality and in the Royal Mail railway depot in Waverley Station.

I’m mainly self-taught, a holiday painter, visiting galleries. My grandfather took me to the museums, but my mother liked modern art. I just seemed to connect to Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth and modern painting, Magritte and Ernst, in particular.

The first spark of magic in seeing an artist working that I remember was on holiday in the Italian hill-top village of Cervo on the Ligurian coast. He made me a little wire and foil man, from the cork wrapping of a bottle of sparkling wine. At four years old, I was impressed.'

Working for the National Galleries of Scotland gives me the opportunity to study the paintings and sculpture close up. If I don’t like an artist or work, I ask myself why, and find out more about it. Watching and assisting the public can be fascinating and rewarding.