JAMES PAGE is a self taught artist from Dunbar, East Lothian. He first began painting ten years ago. His first canvasses were pieces of board found in skips or washed up on the beaches he frequently visited around Dunbar. His first paints came from the early learning centre at St. James Centre in Edinburgh. He first exhibited at Dunbar Library in 1999. This came about almost through necessity. He had been made redundant from his gardening job at Belhaven Gardens after the death of his employer, Sir George Taylor. After being unemployed for one year, he was forced to attend a job club, which so belittled peoples intelligence that the only way he felt to rebel was to walk out and go directly to the library and book the exhibition space. He felt at that time there was nothing to lose except his ego, which was fast diminishing anyway. Surprisingly and fortunately for him he sold five paintings at his first exhibition which gave him the faith and confidence to continue painting. James then began exhibiting whenever and wherever possible. His home became his studio and he painted almost everyday when paints and boards were available. When they were in short supply he would use any products and foodstuffs that could produce colour and texture, on wood or paper. In 2002 he joined a group of likeminded artists who had formed a charitable organisation called Artesian. James became very involved with encouragement from its founder Judith McNicol. He soon became a director with the group and helped in setting up and running the Artesian Gallery at Bread St in Edinburgh which ran for almost three years. Exhibiting the work of many self taught outsider artists from all over Britain and furthers a field. James took part in many regular group shows and had two solo exhibitions there. The culmination of these efforts was a group show at the Talbot Rice Gallery in Edinburgh in 2004 which he co curated with Pat Fisher. James also put on a number of creativity workshops for children during that time and continues to do these workshops in schools around the country. His first solo exhibition in London will take place at Bartlett's Gallery in Bethnal Green on the 15th Feb. 2007. James Page is also a spiritualist medium, palmist, tarot reader and healer. He has worked professionally in this field for the last fifteen years. He believes his work is often inspired by his spirit friends and guides. When he begins a painting he rarely has any idea what will manifest, and is often surprised by the startling images that get channelled through him, a very similar technique which is used in his mediumship. He believes that doing is more important than thinking, and experimentation is the key to it all. This shows in the large and varied body of work he has built up, and exhibited and sold over the last ten years.