Born in the mining town of Cumnock, Ayrshire in 1959, Allan attended Glasgow School of Art, 1977-81, gaining B. A. Honours in Fine Art: Drawing & Painting, under the tutelage of David Donaldson, Duncan Shanks and Sandy Moffat.
Allan was a Principal Teacher of Art for 21 years and the Painting Tutor with Auchinleck Adults Community Art Group, 1993-2014
Allan is a Landscape Painter and Poet who is inspired mainly by nature; the changing light and the Scottish landscapes of Ayrshire, Argyll and The Hebrides. Working mainly in pen & ink, pastel and oils, Allan’s style ranges from the naturalistic to the semi-abstract.
To date he has produced the following Poetry and Drawing Publications as author William Allan McMillan: ‘Stars and Fireflies,’2017, ‘A Sunfall of Rainshine,’ 2020, ‘Drawings and Poems’ 2023, ‘The Year’s Turning’ 2025.
Art Exhibitions:
- Degree Show, Glasgow School of Art
- RSA Annual Student Art Exhibition, Edinburgh
- ‘Student Works’, Third Eye Centre, Glasgow
- ‘4 Ayrshire Artists’, MacLaurin Art Gallery, Rozelle, Ayr
- ‘Mixed Pigment’, Land O’ Burns Centre, Alloway, Ayr
- Ayrshire Art Teachers Association Annual Exhibitions, Dick Institute, Kilmarnock
- ‘Inside Out’, McKechnie Institute, Girvan
- Bert Richard Memorial Exhibition, Carrick Artists, McKechnie Institute, Girvan
- Stables Gallery, Inveraray, Argyll
- Ayrshire Group Exhibition, Harbour Arts Centre, Irvine
- Studio 44, Largs 2023
- Open Studios Shows, 2023-24
- 3 Villages Creative Arts 2025
In 2026 Allan is currently involved in setting up a new creative arts group initiative called ‘3 Villages Creative Arts’, based in Kirkmichael, Ayrshire
