Born in Belfast, Cupar has worked for many years as a Graphic artist in printing and newspaper advertising. His first love has always been to paint landscapes in acrylics, watercolour and mixed media.
In recent years however figures have tended to dominate, so much so that the landscape has become secondary to the foreground subject matter. Humour and a certain naivety of style is a hallmark of his work. His compositions mainly depict scenes from around North Down where he lives. He also loves to paint life in ‘pre-troubles’ Belfast (circa 1960s), ‘possibly a guarded nostalgia for my childhood in North Belfast’.
He exhibits in various open exhibitions around Belfast, Counties Down & Antrim including shows in the Higgins Gallery, Malone House, Belfast and the Stormont Gallery, Belfast. He has also exhibited successfully in the Royal Ulster Academy Annual Shows in recent years and is a Member of the Arts Society of Ulster and Bangor Art Club.
He has won prizes at the Percy French Watercolour Annual Shows, the Rose Society of Ulster’s Annual Exhibition, was the holder of the 2007 MacDonald Prize and the 2008 McKibben Engineering Prize in the Arts Society of Ulster Exhibitions.
His work is represented in various private collections throughout Ireland and the U.K. Current work can be viewed at the Yard Gallery, Holywood, the Art & Home Gallery, Holywood, Co. Down. ‘The‘Old Post Office’Gallery and Coffee House, Lisbane, Co. Down, and Greyabbey Antiques, Greyabbey, Co.Down.