Self taught in drawing and watercolours, Douglas has always enjoyed painting as a pastime. He discovered acrylics and then how to develop compositions, not only from a physical perspective but also in terms of colour, tone and line.

Douglas's passions are seascapes, harbour scenes and mountains. The challenge in his work is to capture the elements of nature at work or the evocative aspects of working boats with a realistic level of dynamism. The paintings have become more vibrant but also less complicated. Many of his pictures have rich colour compositions laid down with thick brushwork or a palette knife. For Douglas, the texture of a painting is as important as the colour. His paintings are rarely under glass as he wants them to beckon the viewer to engage with the surface and to ‘feel part of the painting’.

His paintings are often on block canvas in acrylic depicting Scottish landscapes, animals both domestic and wild!   They range in size from small to very large to triptychs.

Many of Douglas's paintings have been exhibited in galleries in the Scottish Highlands and in Glasgow.   He has also been fortunate to be able to paint portraits both of people and pets, providing enduring memories.