Born in Arbroath on the east coast of Scotland, Buchan studied at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art, Dundee, under Alberto Morrocco. He continued his studies, completing his postgraduate degree at Hospitalfield, Arbroath. Thereafter he taught before undertaking National Service, returning to Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art as a full time lecturer. In 1991 he was granted study leave where he travelled to New York, Holland, Belgium and Barcelona. Winner of several major awards including the Keith Prize (RSA, 1962), Latimer Award (RSA, 1963), Scottish Arts Council Major Award (1973), William Gillies Bequest Fund Award (RSA, 1991). He has served on the Scottish Arts Council Awards Panel; he was elected to the Royal Scottish Academy in 1991.
His work is held in both national and international private and public collections including the Scottish Arts Council; Dundee Museum & Art Galleries; Vincent Price Collection, USA; Edinburgh Hospital Group and Leicester University.
His vibrant, expressive canvasses continue to excite using the sea and landscapes around him as a base for his inspiration - they are full of emotions and soulfulness recording and expressing his reactions to the world he lives in, viewed from the window of his studio. This connects him to the outside world, reacting to the variations of the sky, space, clouds and the changing weather of the seasons. Whilst listening to the music which resonates with his emotions, his paintings reflect the shifting water, the busy harbour with its comings and goings, the fleeting sight of an aeroplane, interspersed with the events of his life. His energetic brushstrokes express his feelings and thoughts, connecting us to the lifetime of a painter who truly enjoys what he is doing and is willing to share with us, the onlookers.
His work is held in both national and international private and public collections including the Scottish Arts Council; Dundee Museum & Art Galleries; Vincent Price Collection, USA; Edinburgh Hospital Group and Leicester University.
His vibrant, expressive canvasses continue to excite using the sea and landscapes around him as a base for his inspiration - they are full of emotions and soulfulness recording and expressing his reactions to the world he lives in, viewed from the window of his studio. This connects him to the outside world, reacting to the variations of the sky, space, clouds and the changing weather of the seasons. Whilst listening to the music which resonates with his emotions, his paintings reflect the shifting water, the busy harbour with its comings and goings, the fleeting sight of an aeroplane, interspersed with the events of his life. His energetic brushstrokes express his feelings and thoughts, connecting us to the lifetime of a painter who truly enjoys what he is doing and is willing to share with us, the onlookers.