George Birrell

George trained at Glasgow School of Art from 1967 to 1971 and attended Hospitalfield Summer School in 1970. After graduating, George trained as a teacher and taught Art and Design in schools from 1972 to 1980. He then taught Art, Design and Photography in further education colleges from 1983 to 1998. He has been a full-time artist since 1998.

George lives and paints in East Lothian and enjoys painting his impressions of the east of Scotland. His paintings do not depict specific places but are an amalgam of different views and perspectives. He paints using oil paints and enjoys that oil forces the artist to paint slowly, affording plenty of thinking and planning time. He loves complementary opposites - for example, orange, blue, yellow, and purple - and loves juxtaposing light and dark. George does not paint figures, but his paintings feel inhabited due to hints such as a light on in a window, or a hint of lace curtains. His compositions have great depth and balance.