Although he could be described as 'self-taught', for several years Stanley attended evening classes at the Glasgow School of Art to improve his technique, to widen his experience of making art, and to stimulate the creative processes. Stanley works mainly in acrylics and mixed media on board and on canvas - but he will use whatever he needs to make sure he captures that elusive image.

Stanley's work ranges from larger scale representational paintings and portraits of animals - bulls, cows, sheep, pigs, deer, horses - both in monochrome and colour - to smaller more intimate, mixed media paintings of those and other animals.

He has been working recently on commissions and paintings of birds, exotic and otherwise, against bold, colourful backgrounds and characterful portraits of 'Man's best friend'.