Basil Watson was one of the first students to benefit from the Jamaica School of Arts removal to its new campus as part of the Cultural Training Centre. He feels he was fortunate to be taught by a diverse range of tutor including Christopher Gonzales, Gene Pearson, Alexander Cooper, George Rodney and Kofi Kayiga. He specialised in Sculpture and soon became noted for his interest in the human form.
Watson relishes the challenge of representation. He strives constantly for perfection of form and truth to what he sees. But, he also brings style to his work, his sense of balance, discriminating choice of subject matter and a sense of poise mark them as quiet, dignified, classical works. Favoured subjects are the female form, often in erotic or sensuous poses or sport figures caught in actions that challenge his skills. And, he rarely fails to capture sublety of movement or the character of a model. For this reason Basil Watson is constantly in demand as a sculptor of public commissions. His most recent commission has been the bust of Edna Manley to commemorate the centenary anniversary of her birth.