A Painting in its New Home

It's always good to find out what happens to my paintings after I sell them.

So here's a photo of a painting in situ which I was very kindly sent by its new owner (thank you Hayley!).

It was bought as a special present for someone who works in the shipyards - the painting is 'Shipbuilding on the Clyde', and shows HMS Duncan, the last type 45 destroyer built on the Clyde, under construction.

Here it is in its new home, fitting in perfectly.

She tells me how thrilled they are to have it.  I'm thrilled too, as it gives me a lot of pleasure to know that.

A Celebration of Glasgow

Here's my drawing of the War Memorial at Bearsden Cross (read more about it HERE)

 War Memorial, Bearsden Cross, mixed media 28 x 16

This is shortly going to be part of a very special show called 'A Celebration of Glasgow', with over 200 paintings on exhibition this summer during the two weeks of the city's Commonwealth Games.  

The artists were given a broad brief to depict Glasgow in all its forms as part of a celebration of the city, its buildings, culture and history.  So it will be very interesting indeed to see how this has been interpreted by everyone when the show all comes together.

It runs from Saturday 19th July to Sunday 3rd August 2014 at the LEMOND GALLERY.

Also there will be my painting 'Shipbuilding on the Clyde', which I'm particularly fond of, and which was last exhibited at the Maclaurin Art Gallery in Ayr when it was selected for their open exhibition.  It shows HMS Duncan under construction, and I will also be showing a pastel study of the scene in the same exhibition.

Shipbuilding on the Clyde, Oil on linen, 32 x 32

Shipbuilding on the Clyde at the Maclaurin Open Fine Art Exhibition

I was over in Ayr at the weekend to see my paintings which are currently on show in the Maclaurin Open Fine Art Exhibition.

Rozelle House, where the exhibition is hosted, is set in the middle of a fine park, which at this time of year is full of lovely rhododendrons and azaleas in full bloom.

It's a really good show, selected from entries from all over Scotland.  Here's my painting, and I was really pleased to see that it's in 'pride of place', with a really good position on the end wall, so you see it as soon as you go in.

The painting is "Shipbuilding on the Clyde", and was taken from a viewpoint at the back of my friend Matt's house.

The ship featured is of special significance, as it is the Type 45 Destroyer HMS Duncan, built at BAE Systems, Govan, and the last to be built and launched down the slipway on the Clyde.  So it's a pretty special ship, and rather sad.

Photograph: Murdo Macleod

Read an article about the launch here. 

I remember being taken to see the launch of the QE2 on the Clyde in 1967.  I wasn't entirely clear what was going on, but I'd never seen such a vast crowd of people.

Photo: Paul Strathdee

If you'd like to read about the launch or anything else about the QE2, one of the truly great Clyde-built ships, then there's a whole load of really interesting information and photos (including ones of her at present in Dubai) on my friend Rob's website The QE2 Story.

You can see my painting in the Maclaurin exhibition until the 7th of July.