Even though I only knew him for a relatively short time, 4 years, he was a great influence on my development as an artist. He was a painter and stained glass artist and commissioned artist generally. His method of teaching was very broad and he responded to you as an individual, reacting to your strengths and not interested in forcing his philosophy of art onto any of the students.

The glass work I was involved with at that time was very linear and did not really begin painting until my Master Degree when I also discovered etching. I only have a few pictures of him. I am very fond of the picture of him sitting there in the studio. I remember so well going into that studio and having coffee.

The main tequnique that I use, ie glass etching, was something that Alf didn't like at all. Not what you could achieve with it but alone the acid, he hated working with the acid. The fume cupboard that we had then was situated in a part of his studio and often if I was going to etch he would go out of the room until I had finished.

The other picture was taken one day when we went to take some photographs of a window of his in the Police Headquarters in Glasgow. I saw the coloured glass reflected in his glasses and asked him to let me take the picture.

I must see if I can get some pictures of his work, paintings and some of the stained glass that he made.

My first project after leaving the art cshool was to adjust my main degree work to install it into the Glasgow Museum and Art Galleries where it still is. He had an extra studio in the Art School at the time and he let me use it to make this work.

In this picture in the studio you can possibly just make out that there is something written on the wall behind him. It was only as I saw this photograph again that I remembered what was written there. One of the quotations, as I recall was, ”if you want any flotsom I’ve got some, if you want any jetsom, I’ll get some.“.

He usually had the radio on when he was working, it was a classical station and he would have it on in the background as he worked. I remember going in over a few days and there would be people chatting, the occassional knock and applause and very seldom some excitement. I became aware of this and said to Alf, “I didn't know you liked cricket“, he said, ”Oh is that what it is” it just appears and goes on for days.

It saddens me very much that I didn't know him for longer or better.