David Turnbull Gardner was born in Lanarkshire and studied at the Glasgow School of Art from 1967 till 1972, graduating D.A. - Diploma in Fine Art, specialising in sculpture.
After two years of freelance design work, he took up a teaching post in Rothesay Academy. While teaching he continued to paint and sculpt , exhibiting in Argyll and Bute galleries,
In the 1980’s, he began to take on commercial photography work which proved to be valuable in terms of professional development for teaching. In 2004, the option of early retirement was irresistable , providing the opportunity to concentrate full time on his fine art work and also help his wife Caroline to run and develop The Castle Gallery which she had established in 1997.
His first solo exhibition was in the Castle Gallery in 2007 and was inspired by a month long visit to Japan, following in the 19th century footsteps of E.A. Hornel and George Henry. The exhibition was named « East Meets West « and featured paintings and sculptures comparing similarities and contrasts between the landscape, figures and architecture of his home environment of Bute, and the fascinating culture of Japan.
More recently David has exhibited in a three man show in Marseillan, in the south of France, and in various galleries on the West Coast of Scotland. The Castle Gallery hosted the 2012 exhhibition of David’s work, « Island Triptych » Which featured paintings of Bute, Iona and Mull.
