Stuart Buchanan was born in Glasgow in 1970. He studied Fine Art Drawing and Painting at the Glasgow School of Art and graduated in 1992. He has been working as a professional artist after setting up his art studio in 1993. Since then Stuart has firmly established himself as a leading name within the Contemporary Scottish field.

Stuart generally works in the traditional medium of oils. His paintings are representational, with figures set in richly textured, colourful ambiguous landscapes. His work depicts images of figures, usually imagined and anonymous, in painterly landscapes. 

Stuart's paintings are easily identifiable. His art work display a recurring theme of solitude. This is not to suggest his paintings are lonely but rather a celebration of peace and serenity. Buchanan creates a world of peace and refuge away from the day to day of the outside world. His paintings depict mostly single figures and pairs and all share an enviable meditative state. The figures are often involved in an activity beyond the canvas and the viewer - such as gazing out to sea or at the stars, or daydreaming. He draws inspiration from his own childhood memories and experiences, as well as more current day to day life and the environment and landscapes that surround him.