Our very talented member, Scott Walker, has written about his Tourette's and how art has helped him and how his Tourette's has helped his art! Read his story and have a look at some of his incredible paintings below...
My name is Scott and I am a full time artist living in Balloch. I was diagnosed with TS 4 years ago although I have lived with it all my life.
As a child in the 70's, my first memory of liking art and how it calmed me and my tics was aged 6. Being able to concentrate on something enjoyable helped my TS immensely so I drew and painted all the time realising later that I wanted to make it my career.
Originally from County Durham I moved up to Glasgow in 1990 after completing Art School in Bath. I started work as a volunteer in the homelessness sector where I quickly got employment. I worked in this field full, then latterly part time for nearly 30 years. I also continued to paint and draw regularly throughout this time. I became a full time artist 6 years ago.
I always thought of making art as my therapy, my serene space, empty of thought, stress and anxiety therefore lessening my tics and compulsions. I create mainly create watercolour, large oil and acrylic paintings. As well as creating my own paintings I have been commissioned to do illustration work and private commissions.
I have developed my current style over the past 20 years relishing increasingly in more and more detailed work. I believe humour and personal connection are very important in the images I produce. I draw upon real experiences, conversations, music, reading, travelling, observations and obscure interpretations to create very colourful and intricate work to illustrate what I see, hear and think.
My TS has definitely helped shape my style, spilling out my overactive imagination, impulsive thoughts and tangents onto the paper or canvas. This is always a great way of releasing tensions and my own personal meditation.
To see more of Scott's wonderful
work, visit his Facebook page, Wingnut Art.
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