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William Burns was born in Newton Mearns, Renfrewshire and studied at Glasgow School of Art from 1944–48 under Ian Fleming and David Donaldson before attending Hospitalfield Art College when Ian Fleming was Warden. Burns continued to work from Glasgow until 1954. Burns served in the RAF during WWII and retained his passion for flying after. Viewing the world from above had a profound effect on his practice leading to more abstract works. He relocated to Aberdeen as a Lecturer in Art Education at Aberdeen College of Education and later became Principal Lecturer and Head of Department. Burns would often accompany fellow artist Ian Fleming on his painting excursions on the northeast coast. Both artists had an affinity for the fishing villages, communities, ship building, harbours, and the vast expanse of the North Sea. Fleming painted a portrait of Burns between 1950-54, which hangs in Aberdeen Art Gallery & Museums – the artist sits in the foreground, holding his brushes with canvases and frames behind and to the left is a view of a northeast fishing village, probably Arbroath, with two figures with their backs to the viewers, looking out to the sea. His life was tragically cut short on a flying excursion over the northeast in 1972.
The Scottish Gallery exhibitions: 1964, 1966, 1968 (Festival)
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