Neil was born in Glasgow, where he undertook both undergraduate and postgraduate courses in art. In 1981 he studied in both Italy and Belgium on a David Cargill Travelling Scholarship. From 1979 to the present day he has taught in further and higher education sectors and is now delivering private art classes in Scotland, Italy, Spain, and France. His work has received a number of awards, including the Ann Stevenson Memorial Award in 2006 and the Joe Hargan Award at the Maclaurin Fine Art Exhibition in 2013.
Of his work, Neil says: "I am drawn to locations which exert historic and mythic presence. I explore the lyrical narrative of natural sites and strong bold shapes of castles, old townships and harbours. I do this through distortion of perspective, invention and editing, aiming to capture an essence of the structure or place. Colour is used in an emotive way, often with limited palette, to heighten the sense of mood. The image emerges, revealing the subject's unique sense of place."
"Dunnottar" - 95 x 95 cm (including frame).