AMATEUR artist Christine Sinclair dreams of being able to retire from her job as an auxiliary nurse and devote herself full time to art.

Over the last few years Sinclair, 61, from Maryhill in Glasgow, has painted Yes stones and Yes tiles – check the groups on Facebook – with portraits of independence supporters creating a record of the Yes movement on stone and slate.

Now actor Stuart McGugan, most famous for his role as Bomba McAteer in Tutti Frutti, has encouraged Sinclair to achieve her ambition after buying her portrait of John Byrne on a tile, the artist and playwright who penned Tutti Frutti.

“I think it’s quite brilliant,” said McGugan, who also played Gunner ‘Atlas’ Mackintosh in the BBC sitcom It Ain’t Half Hot Mum.

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“It catches the mischief in the man beautifully. Even more uniquely, it is painted onto an old roof tile. You can see the hole at the top of the tile for the nail to attach it to the roof. You might also be able to see a faint “Yes” painted into the smoke from the cigarette.

McGugan’s sister Margaret and nephew Eddie Anderson alerted him to the portrait. He said: “Christine was kind enough to allow me to buy the picture. I’m going to hang it below one of my most treasured possessions, John Byrne’s portrait of Bomba. As a bonus, Christine sent me a miniature of me playing Bomba, which will go on the wall.

“I know very little about Ms Sinclair, except that I think she has a remarkable talent.”

Christine Sinclair, who is self-taught, told The National: “I have not really put any of my work on sale before, and Stuart was the first to buy one. I have yet to decide which part of the Yes movement I will give a donation to.

“I should be retired now, but am one of the WASPIs and have to carry on working. I’d love to paint full-time for the Yes movement.”

An exhibition of her work is currently on in East Kilbride Arts Centre alongside the work of her friend Nancy Williams.