Academy Awards: The Royal Scottish Academy’s annual exhibition has once again showcased the nation’s artistic excellence, and its members’ work can be seen in many regional galleries
Without parallel, the best place to assess the state of Scotland’s artistic excellence is at the annual exhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy on the Mound in Edinburgh.
The exhibition, sponsored by LGT Wealth Management and Bonhams, the auctioneers, and convened by artist Lennox Dunbar, is normally a spectacular gathering of the work of the nation’s finest painters and sculptors, with several rooms devoted to architectural drawings and models.
This year, the 199th, was no exception with many extraordinary paintings by familiar names, all members of the academy.
The architectural section, convened by Robin Webster, serves as barometer of what is happening in Scotland’s built environment, with many urban and rural ideas explored.
Renowned artists such as Adrian Wisniewski, Barbara Rae, Joyce Cairns, Arthur Watson, Francis Convery, Paul Furneaux, and Kate Downie continue to set the standards and this year there had been an increase in submissions.
This is also a commercial showcase too, where the value of original art can be seen. For example, Clare Andrews’ striking Quasi Presto diptych comes in at £18,000, while Arthur Watson’s Hollow of the Snows, is £10,000, and Ronald Forbes’ Adam Seeking Eve, is £6,000. Jane Hyslop with her pochoir (stencilled) tribute to the oak tree was among the prize-winners and costs up to £480 for an edition of eight images.
While the exhibition has now ended, and the Academy is looking towards its historic 200th exhibition in 2026, many of the painters are also represented in the array of fine art galleries around Scotland.
Scottish art is in vogue with the Glasgow School of Art former luminary Jenny Saville holding a retrospective of her fabulous anatomical paintings at the National Portrait Gallery in London, until September 7, while the life and self-portrait work of Port Seaton’s John Bellany is celebrated at the City Art Centre in Edinburgh, until September 28.
Those looking to buy something more traditional will have watched Lyon & Turnbull’s auction of Scottish Paintings and Sculpture in early June, when David Forrester Wilson’s painting Vanity had a reserve price of £30,000.
For something much less pricey, Scotland’s regional and rural galleries remain important points of sale not only for leading academy members but for newer talent emerging from the art schools, and from local artists who have been able to capture the landscapes of Scotland.
Frances Macdonald is a celebrated contemporary Scottish artist, but she is also well-known for running the Crinan Hotel, the ‘magnificently eccentric’ seafood paradise at the end of the Crinan Canal, and a hotspot for yachting and West of Scotland cruising.
Her top floor gallery and studio, with her bold and atmospheric Scottishlandscapes, looks out over the every-changing sea loch waters of Argyll, and the Corryvreckan whirlpool, giving added resonance and context to her sought-after work.
Frances and her husband, Nick Ryan, moved to the west coast to run the hotel in 1970. Since his death in 2018, Frances has continued painting and is joined at the easel by her son, Ross Ryan.
Back in Edinburgh, the Morningside Gallery, owned and run by Eileadh Swan, has become a regular showroom for emerging talents.
The exuberant oils of Scott Naismith, which is reflective on the passing of his mother, was on show earlier this summer in an exhibition entitled Hope.
The gallery’s summer exhibition, beginning on June 30, features Peter Munro, Steven Lindsay, Andrew Thompson, Parastoo Ganjei, Mary Davidson, George Birrell, Patsy McArthur, Davy Brown, Nicola Wakeling and Robert Kelsey.
Across Scotland, privately-run art galleries are helping to transform towns bringing original art into people’s lives. For many, the satisfaction and enjoyment provided by owning a piece of art remains one of life’s great pleasures.
