This Christmas we are delighted to welcome four very popular Ayrshire artists, each with a different and distinctive style – Sandy Murphy RSW RGI PAI, Jimmy Cosgrove RSW RGI PAI, Michael Durning PPAI PAI RSW and Euan McGregor PAI.
Sandy Murphy studied at GSA under Barbara Rae and Duncan Shanks and like them his work is typically rich in colour and texture with lovely balanced tone. These features wonderfully, capture the changing seasons in his landscapes and control the mood in his still lives.
Jimmy Cosgroves work is instantly recognisable. Like Sandy his work is rich in colour and harmonious in tone. But it is perhaps the imagery in his paintings which is so unique. He accumulates ideas from his travels abroad or from up an down his native West coast of Scotland. Ideas captured in written or painted form are posted back to his studio for further work on his return. Jimmy was a member of staff for many years at GSA, retiring as Deputy Director in 1999 to return to his own work.
Michael Durning is currently President of the Paisley Art Institute but is in the process of stepping down so he can return to focus on his own work. Michael studied at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art in Dundee and then as a Postgraduate at Grays School of Art in Aberdeen. More representational in style than Jimmy and Sandys work, his work whether landscape or architectural in subject, is strong in draughtsmanship and composition but also has a real feeling of historic time and place.
Euan McGregor, fresh from a successful one man show in London, provides another dynamic to our Christmas exhibition. Currently working as a teacher in Renfrewshire, Euan studied Printmaking at GSA but still manages to find time to create his own work, exhibiting regularly at the PAI, RGI and RSA and commercial galleries up and down the UK. More abstract in style, Euan has a strong interest in mid 20th Century British landscape painting and in particular draws inspiration from the work of Ivon Hitchens, Keith Vaughn, Milton Avery and the St Ives School.
A great mix of work from four highly accomplished and much in demand artists which makes us really fortunate to have attracted them to the gallery for our Christmas Exhibition.
I hope you will join us for a glass of wine at the <strong>Preview on Saturday 5th December between 12 and 5pm</strong> where you will be able to meet the artists and discuss their work.
