Donald Manson is a contemporary Scottish painter who spent his formative years living on the Ayrshire coast at Ayr and West Kilbride. This together with early excursions to Scottish islands and mainland maritime locations has shaped and influenced his work both at that time and in later years.

The artist is not especially concerned with painting a ‘likeness’. He does not paint views but paints pictures derived from what he sees and feels.

He finds particular interest in developing something that he may have seen, with ideas and thoughts that he may be currently preoccupied with. This might be the time of the year or a particular time of the day.

Paintings can begin with thoughts of weather, light and seasonal events combined with something observed from life.

The artist sometimes finds that the starting point for a picture can be be one of the visual elements such as colour. He then seeks and engages with a visual model to develop the painting.

He has remained true to his belief in the importance of the craft of painting. The process of painting is of fundamental importance to him in the production of his work. He hopes that this process is evident in the completed works.