Introduction

Charles Simpson was born in 1952 and trained at Glasgow School of Art. He now lives just outside the village of Clovenfords in the Scottish Borders.

As a landscape painter, the rough hill farm countryside immediately around his small cottage provides a regular supply of material, particularly when snow covers the winter landscape. Every year trips are taken to north-west coast and islands of Scotland. The combination of stunning beaches, changing seas, distant islands and mountains, and large dramatic skies provides unique subject matter.

He has been a full-time artist since 1999 and holds regular exhibitions in Edinburgh and London.
 

"Simpson has immense ability; he has found his subject, in the landscape of his adopted Borders and the ever changing light on the West Coast of Scotland. His work now has a confidence near to joy; he no longer has to look left or right or behind. The work sits happily in a landscape tradition which goes back in Scottish painting by way of Duncan Shanks to SJ Peploe and late-period William McTaggart. In British terms he has Edward Seago and Constable for antecedence but can stand up for himself."

Guy Peploe, The Scottish Gallery

"Charles has exhibited with us since our earliest incarnation in Shepherd Market, holding regular one man shows and becoming a pillar of our annual Scottish Show .... Throughout he maintains the freshness and grasp of light and tone that have made him such a popular artist amongst collectors of contemporary Scottish landscapes. After 30 years immersed in Scottish art, I still don’t know a painter of snow who can surpass him."

Matthew Hall, Panter & Hall