Summer Exhibition

Dundee Art Society will hold their Summer Exhibition in Roseangle Gallery open from Saturday 31st May till 7th June. Open each day from 11am to 5pm.
SUMMER EXHIBITION and Art Sale 2025 FREE entry.
THE EXHIBITION and Art Sale opens to the public on
Saturday 31st May through until Saturday 7th June.
Opening times are 11am to 5pm daily.
Late night opening Tuesday 3rd June until 9pm.
The opening preview is on Friday 30th May at 7pm.
Open to all so feel free to bring friends and family.
Non members welcome.
Come along and enjoy the trophy winners presentation, a chance to chat to other artists and of course some great artworks.
Light refreshments and live music.
Roseangle Gallery, 17 Roseangle, Dundee. DD1 4LP

I will be showing the following paintings.

Garden and Gallery open for visitors

My garden and gallery will be open for visitors with the Scotlands Gardens Scheme on 19 and 20 April, then again on 3 and 4 may from 11am to 3pm.

See https://scotlandsgardens.org/17a-menzieshill-road/

Change in direction with my journey into colour

As we turned into 2025 my New Year Resolution of adding more colour and abstract ideas I had to try it out, so here are five paintings completed in this year.

The Red Sarong

The Red Sarong is an acrylic figurative painting of my Scottish model wearing her red sarong. This sensual figure study was painted in 2004 on canvas size 16 x 24 inches and is still available, priced at £900 with free delivery in UK.
The painting has a heavy ornate frame.

Watercolour paintings from the past

Artists go through phases of painting in the same medium for a few years, then they find an image that does not work so they try another medium which they get to like and stay with it for a few more years. I worked in watercolours over a ten year period from 1996 onwards, then drifted back into oils, then acrylics and the occasional flurry with pastels.
Some of my earlier watercolours are here.

Ladies from the past

A few watercolour and early adventure into acrylics was the favourite medium in my early days painting figure studies over twenty years ago. My models had to be in the light, but with darker backgrounds to enhance the drama. However I could not resist a figure study on the Maspalomas Beach with sunlight illuminating the figure and drapes blowing in the wind.

Older Paintings Looking for a New Home

Thought I would dust off a few of my older paintings and bring them into the light.

Meffan Gallery Forfar Winter Exhibition

Exhibition continues till 6th January 2025

Christmas Art Exhibition

A few paintings from my Christmas Art Exhibition to be held in my studio at 17a Menzieshill Road in Dundee
Starting on Saturday 7th December and open every day till Sunday 15th December. Open daily from 11am to 5pm
Free wine sampling. Special Festive discount of £100 off all paintings.

Union Canal at Linlithgow

Many years ago when I lived in Livingston I took a walk up Union Canal at Linlithgow looking for good waterside views to paint. I came across a lovely bridge, cottages and the barge Victoria which took visitors up the canal to explore the landscape. I took plenty photos then back in the studio set about painting a series of views from both sides of the bridge. Although my photos were taken in summer I still enjoy creating a snow scene winter landscape painting with pure imagination. These oil paintings all being the same size will make brilliant wall art with impact if grouped together as a diptych or triptych.

Nethergate in Bloom the story behind the painting

I started my working life as an apprentice gardener with Dundee Parks Department in 1959.
I had 5 years of training with day release classes and worked in different parks, nurseries and greenhouses. This was a time when flower power was at its peak. It was very important to show flower beds full of colourful bedding plants for both a spring and summer display. These were lessons that have stayed with me all my life. Dundee Parks created large flower beds along Nethergate. I was in the team that looked after these flower beds. I passed them one sunny day with camera in hand and took a few photos. I new then that I just had to capture this display on canvas, so out came one large canvas 48 x 30 inches and my oil paints. The composition included Dundee folk and students enjoying the sun but I needed a central figure as a focal point so I went along to the City Square and waited with camera in hand till some bonny lass passed by that was perfect for my painting. Of course not to frighten the young lady I took several images of the streets and buildings, and she just happened to be in one of them. This is a very large oil painting and will create a fantastic impact placed centrally as wall art.
As time went on the council started to cut back on flowers and gardeners, so my painting captures a time past when Dundee had immense flower power, but now, sadly, all gone.

DUNDEE PARISH CHURCH St. Marys ART Exhibition

Dundee Parish Church (St Mary’s) are holding an art exhibition in October with paintings from local artists from Dundee City of Discovery.

Exhibition open daily from 10.30am to 4.30pm running from Thursday 17th to Saturday 19th October.

Evening Art Classes in Dundee

The winter session of art classes in Dundee will start on Monday 13th January 2025.

Classes are for both gifted amateur and beginner looking to get help and advice with artistic creativity as well as enjoying a social night out with like minded folk.

The winter session lasts for 12 weeks ending on 31st March 2025.
The fee is £90 payable on first evening.

Enroll now by emailing John at johnstoa@blueyonder.co.uk

I think summer has arrived

Sun came out and lasted three days, before the rain arrived to try and spoil the show, but I was quick with the camera so here are a few pictures of my garden in mid summer.

Figure Study Paintings Theme

Four figure studies from the same pose with my Scottish model with each one having a different figure and background painting style. They are all painted in acrylic on a box canvas size 24 x 18 inches and all priced at £800 each.

Summer Art Exhibition

My five paintings will be hung in the Summer Exhibition with the Broughty Ferry Art Society which starts on 27th June and ends on 7th July. Open daily from 11am to 5pm.

Exhibition is in the Scout halls in David Street.

I will be showing Scottish landscape paintings, Isle of Skye paintings and flower paintings from my garden.

Has Summer Arrived

Summer should be here according to the calendar but why do I still need my coat on when out in the garden. Cold north winds have been here for a couple of weeks. Summer flowers are struggling, but my hanging baskets are no too bad.

Tulips are coming into flower

Tulips would love to come into flower but weird weather does them no favours. It is one lovely spring day followed by two days of heavy rain and cold strong winds. It will soon be time to open up the garden for visitors to see the spring display at end of April, so hoping for a decent dry warm spell to bring out all those tulips still in bud.