Stirling Street Stories: Meet the Artist – David Galletly

David Galletly is an artist, illustrator and graphic designer who lives and works in Stirling.

The 37-year-old is based in a studio at the city’s Made in Stirling creative hub where he works on a range of drawings, animations and designs for sale to the public and for business clients.

David was born in Stirling where he attended St Ninians Primary and Stirling High School before studying Graphic Design at Falkirk College. He says: “I’ve always loved drawing, even when I was little I had a knack for it and it’s something I enjoyed and kept doing all through my school years. Most of my work is in illustration but I can also turn my hand to other artforms and it’s great having the Made in Stirling studio to work from.”

“It’s the first time I’ve had a separate studio and I enjoy being able to speak to the other artists there and be part of a community as well as having my own space to work.”

David, who lives in St Ninians with his wife Alex and their three-year-old daughter, moved to Glasgow after finishing college and lived there for around ten years before returning to Stirling a couple of years ago. He has worked for a variety of business clients during his career including commissions from Innis & Gunn, Wired Magazine, The Hollywood Reporter and clothing specialists Begg & Co.

Alongside client work, David exhibits original artwork in solo and group shows in the UK and overseas. He also heads up the art direction of Lost Map, an independent record label launched by The Pictish Trail in 2013, designing their record sleeves, posters and more.

He is delighted to be involved with the Street Stories project and his illustration, The Traveller, will be displayed on the windows of the former Calendar Club in the Thistles. David said: “I thought the Street Stories idea sounded pretty cool and was an interesting way to show people my artwork as well as being a positive project for Stirling. I’m really interested to see how my work will be interpreted and especially how it will look with the animation.”

David’s drawing was originally designed for the 2019 Stirling Photography Festival and features a giant man holding a camera and sitting on top of a Stirling cityscape. He says: “I like drawing giants and cityscapes and decided to combine the two for a strong image which would fit the Festival. It also seemed perfect for Street Stories with the idea of a traveller visiting the city. I’m looking forward to seeing it in the window and to being part of something exciting which is happening in Stirling.”

In David’s animated artwork, buildings in his illustration begin to grow and develop gradually before the giant tourist appears with a camera. The art unfolds the story of Andrew McLuckie and Ronald Walker – two prolific 19th century architects who became known as `The Men Who Built Stirling.’ Together they designed more than 200 buildings in the city and altered a further 100 which set the tone and style for the new modern Stirling. Their architecture contributed to the Stirling landscape and along with its historic landmarks, attractions and venues helped make the city one of Scotland’s top tourist attractions.

More details about David and his artwork can be found on his website –  www.davidgalletly.com

He is also on Instagram – www.instagram.com/davidgalletly/, Facebook – www.facebook.com/davgalletly/ and Twitter – twitter.com/davidgalletly