James Alexander Wood - Artist

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James Wood Portrait by Wendy Hunter

ABOUT THE ARTIST by Stuart Burns

James Alexander Wood was born on October 26, 1931 in the old village of East Kilbride. He was the second of the three children of William and Beatrice Wood. His father, an engineering draughtsman, greatly influenced James from an early age, encouraging him to draw and to try to be creative. James attended East Kilbride Primary School before moving to Hamilton Academy, where among other subjects he studied Higher Art, under the watchful eye of Robert Dempster. James proved himself to be an excellent all-rounder, and in addition to studying academic subjects, he fulfilled the role of principal tenor both in Gilbert and Sullican and Edward German operatic productions. He also began to shine as a formidable debater, and as an entertaining and persuasive public speaker.

During school holidays, he and his brother David spent most of their spare time working on Robert Baird's Righead Farm and on Robert Wiseman's Murray Farm. This attachment to farming activities and farm animals was strengthened in 1950, when on leaving school and while awaiting call-up for National Service, he worked on his cousin's farm Over Dalkeith at Rumbling Bridge.James spent his National Service in the Royal Corps of Signals where he trained as an electronics officer, but on leaving in 1952 he chose to begin an apprenticeship in Chartered Accountancy with Cooper and Lybrand. He qualified quickly and was offered an early opportunity to work in Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar and Mpanda, a remote village close to Lake Tanganyika.

On returning from Africa he settled down, married and had a family of five children. He also discovered the great challenge and pleasure of the game of golf. In addition, and encouraged by his sister Amy, herself a talented musician, he pursued his interest in amateur singing, joining the Glasgow Grand Opera Society and training at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.His career grew very successfully and his skills in accountancy and management consultancy were soon recognised by among others PE International Ltd, who he joined and there specialised in business development and profit improvement projects. His operational director, Andrew Reilly, was frequently impressed by how James, given a problem, could develop creative and workable solutions which clients almost always accepted immediately and gratefully. Andrew later remarked that James' hidden talent as an artist came as a surprise, but not his creativity. It is interesting to note that while James was involved in a very demanding career he still found time, with his brother, a veterinary surgeon, to develop a virus pneumonia-free herd of Landrace pigs in Yorkshire, to purchase Megsfauld Farm at Rumbling Bridge and to become a registered breeder of French Blue deMaine sheep.

James was made a Fellow of the Institute of Management Consultants in 1989. A year later he left PE International to set up his own management consultancy which he called Corporate Checkpoints. Sadly this embryo venture came to an abrupt end following the serious road accident in late 1992 which became the defining point in this phase of his life. He was challenged by a friend to do something different with his life following the accident, and so like his father before him in retirement he turned to oil painting. As he said after completing several paintings, "It was as if the accident had triggered a release of artistic energy which impelled me to paint."He has been an appreciative student of the works of the Impressionists Monet, Pisarro, Manet, Van Gogh, Sisley, Boudin and Renoir. He has also developed and improved his technique after spending a year in the Glasgow School of Art drawing and painting class.

In 1996 he held the first of his annual exhibitions in the Kilmacolm Community Centre. James now lives in Kilmacolm with his second wife Janet. He continues to paint and in addition to his other interests he finds time to devote himself to valuable community projects.

Welcome to the Advertizer, your LOCAL community Magazine for the Gryffe area of the West Coast of Scotland.

GALLERY

FOREWORD

ABOUT THE ARTIST