IT'S STILL LIFE....BUT NOT AS WE KNOW IT, CAPTAIN by Natalie Elliott, The Daily Mail, 28th October 2006

Star Trek star snaps up canvases by student a top art school turned away

By Natalie Elliott

STAR TREK legend Patrick Stewart has declared the work of a Glasgow School of Art reject to be "out of this world".

Frank To, 24, has sold three canvases to the actor who played Captain Jean- Luc Picard in the cult sci- fi series.

The artist, who was turned down when he applied to study at Glasgow School of Art, graduated from Huddersfield University with a BA honours in painting and drawing before completing his MA in fine art at Dundee's Duncan of Jordanstone College last year,

Mr To said: "I met Patrick after my degree show in Huddersfield and was slightly hungover at the time as I had been celebrating.

"But when he came in I sobered up pretty quickly. He's a fan of art and liked what he saw of my paintings.

"Our relationship took off from there and last year he bought my work for his own collection."

Mr To is currently taking part in an exhibition in Glasgow's West End alongside celebrated painter Peter Howson.

He said: "I'm working non- stop at the moment and have had several exhibitions in London which have sold out. It's a great honour to have my paintings shown next to Peter Howson, who I admire. My art is also very dark and has an unusual approach.

"It begins as abstract, with no formal structure, before I use a more specific technique to tweak the figure out of the painting."

Mr To, who lives in Newton Mearns, near Glasgow, may be rubbing shoulders with celebrities, but still finds time to work in his family's Chinese restaurant, Mearns Wok.

He said: "I help out occasionally when they are understaffed. I can't say no, I'd feel guilty. Besides, it teaches me to be humble.

"I don't think it would be a good idea to hang up any of the paintings in the restaurant- it might put people off their food."

Jim Birrel, who is responsible for undergraduate admissions at Glasgow School of Art, said: "Obviously, we don't have a monopoly on graduates. We are happy to see any artist doing so well. I wish him all the best."