Artist noted for his portraits. Born in Glasgow, Burns moved with his parents from Springburn to Cumbernauld. He enjoyed drawing and painting from childhood but trained formally at Glasgow School of Art, graduating in 1983 with a degree in fine art. While there, he became a founder member of the pop-folk band Valerie & The Week of Wonders. He went on to a career in teaching, rising to become Principal Teacher of art at St. Aloysius' College in Glasgow, a post he resigned in 1999 to pursue his art full-time. His work includes many famous people; portraits of First Minister Alex Salmond (b. 1954), author Denise Mina (b. 1966) and rugby player Doddie Weir (1970 - 2022) are held by the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, and his portrait of politician Margo MacDonald (1943 - 2014) is displayed in the Scottish Parliament. His portrait of Billy Connolly (b. 1942) was sold in aid of the National Trust for Scotland, raising £40,000. Other notable subjects have included actors Brian Cox (b. 1946) and Alan Cumming (b. 1965), comedian Karen Dunbar (b. 1971), entrepreneur Sir Tom Hunter (b. 1961), lawyer Baroness Helena Kennedy (b. 1950), actor Ewan McGregor (b. 1971), actress and comedian Elaine C. Smith (b. 1958), First Minister Nicola Sturgeon (b. 1970) and broadcaster Kirsty Wark (b. 1955). His other works usually involve people, often in conjunction with animals. His style features a bold palette in oil often using large canvases, and he regularly includes a saltire to explore ideas of nationhood and identity. Burns has completed commissions for a number of private and commercial collections internationally. He now lives in Dullatur (North Lanarkshire).
