AT: Where are you from and how/why did you start engaging with art?

ST: I’m from Edinburgh and I’m lucky to be from quite a creative family, art was always around.

AT: When did it become serious?

ST: I’m pretty dyslexic and didn’t find many subjects in high school easy, I knew I had to do something practical so studying fine art made sense and I did a degree at Duncan of Jordanstone in Dundee. It gradually became more serious from there, I never had a plan but I had a lot of energy to work. My work has developed a lot but I’ve always had the same approach and interest in abstract communication.

AT: Are there any person who has been significant in your breakthrough as an artist?

ST: Definitely the support from family has been the biggest help in getting to the point now where I can paint full time. Everyone involved in putting on shows and collecting work has been important.

AT: What is your first approach to the work? How would you describe your practice?

ST: There’s a really fluid approach, I always work on several things at a time in the studio and there’s an overlap between the previous work and the next. I don’t work in clearly defined series of works, every piece is linked but the results can be quite varied.

AT: What do you aim to reach with your work?

ST: The aim is for people to spend time with the paintings, enjoy being with them, for whatever reason.

AT: What are your favourite tools and materials for working?

ST: I’ve been getting interested in working directly with pigments and various binders, spending time preparing colours is a useful distraction from thinking about ‘what to paint’.

AT: What do you feel while you work? Do you usually think about the final outcome beforehand?

ST: It’s hard to say what I feel while working, maybe I’ll be focusing on the music I’m listening to or something… but then there’ll be short moments of really intense concentration on the structure and action of the painting.

AT: How do you understand that a work is finished?

ST: It’s often easy to know, it’s instinctive.

AT: Where does the inspiration for the work come from?

ST: Music, nature, places, all sorts of different things can come in and out of a painting. It’s not purely abstract but neither is there a singular subject.

AT: Are there any artists who influenced your works? Why?

ST: There are hundreds of artists and works to take influence from, it’s a continuous process of looking and responding. Some influences can be very clear in the work but less obvious influences are important as well, I’ve been looking a lot at the copy of Antonello da Messina’s annunciata in the Academia in Venice recently.

AT: How important is the role of social media for you?

ST: I’m writing this in the middle of coronavirus lockdown in London which has highlighted the benefits of social media in supporting dialogue and community but it’s also a reminder of how important it is to experience art in a real physical environment.

AT: As an artist, what is your point of view about the contemporary art system?

ST: I don’t really have too much experience of being fully involved in the system, it’s likely that things will have to change to become more sustainable and equal. I hope we can prioritise having more real, accessible spaces to look at art.

AT: What do you find to be the most challenging or daunting thing about pursuing art? What is the most rewarding part of working as an artist?

ST: The aspect of working independently is probably the most challenging and rewarding at the same time. I really value the fact that I’m my own boss, I can structure my days how I like, but that’s not always easy. It’s important to be part of a community and not get too isolated.

AT: What do you do besides art?

ST: I’ve been getting pretty good at making homemade frying pan pizza, Neapolitan style, it’s a real art.

AT: What are your goals and expectations for the future?

ST: I don’t like to set any targets, anything can happen.