Attributed to Lord Frederic Leighton, 1st Baron Leighton PRA, RWS, (British, 1830-1896) - 19th century patinated bronze maquette, 'An Athlete Wrestling A Python', the figure on naturalistic rectangular base with one projecting front corner, unsigned, brown patina, 24cm high Private collection, Bristol. For a similar plaster maquette of this 1874 version with matching projecting base, see https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O72873/athlete-struggling-with-a-python-statuette-leighton-frederic-lord/ where stated:"This is the reduced preliminary cast for Leighton's full-size bronze called Athlete Struggling with a Python in Tate Britain, London. The original clay model from which this plaster was cast was handed by Leighton to another leading painter and sculptor, G. F. Watts, who arranged for it to be cast. The model has since disappeared." For a matching bronze donated in 1941, see National Museum of Wales, NMW A 188: https://museum.wales/collections/online/object/a2f0ca17-18a0-3e02-b2bc-90eff153a16b/Athlete-struggling-with-a-python/?index=3 The finished (1877) bronze features a rectangular base without projecting corner, thus our example is likely based on the 1874 version.. Whilst Leighton had already achieved fame in the field of painting, his success in sculptural terms began in 1877 with the debut of 'Athlete Wrestling with a Python' at the Royal Academy. At the time of exhibition, it was also alternatively known to reviewers as 'An Athlete Strangling a Python' and 'An Athlete Struggling with a Python'. Acclaimed by both critics and the public, it led Leighton to be proclaimed as 'the father of the English New Sculpture movement'. From contemporary interviews which Leighton made with the Studio magazine in the early 1890's, he originally modelled the piece, using the professional sitter, Angelo Colorosi, as a small-scale clay figure. However, he developed a large-scale bronze, assisted by his protégé, Thomas Brock (1847-1922); the full-size model was first executed in plaster, and then cast in bronze by Cox & Son, before it too was exhibited at the Royal Academy. The sculpture's popularity was confirmed when it was purchased on behalf of the Tate by the Chantrey Bequest, and it won the gold medal at the prestigious Exposition Universelle in Paris the following year. Reductions of the bronze were posthumously published in edition casts of two similar sizes between 1903-1910. The first edition was published by Arthur Collie (of Frome, Somerset). The second edition was published by Ernest Brown and Phillips at the Leicester Galleries. In 1909, The Magazine of Art announced that the Leicester Galleries were to publish Leighton's 'An Athlete Struggling with a Python' in an unspecified limited edition.
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* GRAHAM H D MCKEAN, RAINY WALK pastel on paper, signedmounted, framed and under glassimage size 64cm x 49cm, overall size 86cm x 70cm Note: In 1996, after 17 years as a graphic designer, Graham McKean decided to commit himself totally to producing his oil paintings. Graham McKean’s paintings have featured in numerous exhibitions and are increasingly appearing at the U.K.’s leading auction houses. His work has now become highly collectible and is held in prestigious private and public collections worldwide. Graham also supports a number of charities through events and auctions. A review by the late W. Gordon Smith (Art Critic, The Scotsman), described the work of Graham McKean as a cross between the painters John Byrne and Stanley Spencer, but with an “interesting bite”. Graham McKean needs little introduction to our buyer audience having been consistently one of our most popular and best selling artists since the inaugural Scottish Contemporary Art Auction in November 2008.
* MURIEL BARCLAY, SERENADE oil on canvas, signedframedimage size 76cm x 76cm, overall size 97cm x 97cm Note: In the inaugural Scottish Contemporary Art Auction staged by McTear's on 22nd November 2008, "Pink Tutu Tune" by Muriel Barclay sold for £7475 (premium) which was widely reported to be a record price for any maiden painting at public auction by a Scottish artist (past or present). On 24th October 2021, “Venice” sold for £6000 (hammer), . Muriel Barclay is one of Scotland's most successful living artists and her exhibiting history is impressive. Her paintings are enthusiastically collected around the UK and auction appearances of her larger paintings, such as "Venice", are extremely rare. Collections include: Sir Arnold Clark, Lord Harris, The Sultan of Brunei, Alex McLeish, Sir Jack Harvey, HBOS, Biggart Baillie, Arisaig Partners, Ernie Els (golfer) and numerous other prestigious corporate and private collections worldwide. In The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 13th December 2020 "Peace Delegation" (a 77 x 87cm oil, lot 612) by Barclay, sold for £5500 (hammer) and in September 2024 lot 249, "Lacing" a 66 x 76cm oil by Barclay sold in our auction for £5000 (hammer)
* JOHN BELLANY CBE RA HRSA (SCOTTISH 1942 - 2013), THE QUEEN OF THE NIGHT limited edition aquatint etching on paper, signed, titled and numbered 23/200mounted, framed and under glassimage size 76cm x 60cm, overall size 102cm x 86cm Label verso: Duncan R. Miller Fine Arts, London.Note: Collector demand has never been higher for the work of John Bellany and numerous examples have been sold in recent months by both McTear's and others at ever more impressive prices. In The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 29th May 2022 "The Finnon Smoker" by Bellany sold for £80,000 (hammer) and in the same sale, "Bass Rock Fable" (a 76 x 61cm unframed oil) sold for £12,000 (hammer). In our 21st August 2022 auction, lot 137 "The Newspaper Hat" (a 61 x 51cm oil) sold for £9500 (hammer). "Like-for-like" auction prices for original paintings are usually difficult to assess, but in The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of April 2023, two Bellany paintings which had been acquired in our auctions in September and November 2014 were consigned for sale by the same owner. The original 2014 selling prices were £1800 and £4000 and the same paintings sold in April for £3800 and £7000 (all hammer prices). This equates to a growth in value of 86.2% in fewer than nine years. In The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 25th May 2023, lot 282, "Restless Wave" a 90 x 90cm oil (by Bellany) sold for £9000 (hammer) and in our auction of 9th November, lot 92, "Harbour" a 90 x 120cm oil by Bellany sold for £11000 (hammer). Most recently, "The Players" lot 50 in our auction of 28th March 2024 sold for £30000 (hammer).
* FRANK COLCLOUGH (SCOTTISH 1941 - 2023), SHORE COTTAGE oil on board, signed, titled versoframed and under glassimage size 26cm x 26cm, overall size 41cm x 41cm Note: Frank Colclough was born in Wick, Caithness and lived in London before settling back in Scotland in 1975. He originally worked as a design draughtsman while studying art at Camberwell Art School and worked as a professional artist since 1981. All Frank Colclough early contemporary paintings were in watercolour, but over recent years he worked in acrylic and oils. The inspiration for Frank Colclough paintings stems from his admiration of the Scottish colourist movement. This is reflected in his paintings which consist mainly of marine views of the Scottish West Coast and colourful still life studies. Frank Colclough contemporary paintings appear in many private and public art collections. The RSW, RGI and RSA have also regularly exhibited his work. Frank was a frequent, popular and very successful contributor to The Scottish Contemporary Art Auctions from 2008 for many years.
* ETHEL WALKER (SCOTTISH b. 1941), BLUE LUSTRE oil on board, signed, titled and dated 1997 versoframed and under glass image size 60cm x 66cm, overall size 77cm x 83cm Label verso: The Gatehouse Gallery, Glasgow.Note: Ethel Walker was born in Ayrshire, Scotland, in 1941. She graduated from the Glasgow School of Art in 1964 where she had been taught by David Donaldson, once the Queen's portrait painter. Beginning her career as a teacher, by the age of twenty-seven she was a full-time artist. Walker is one of the most successful female painters working in Scotland today. Her talent in capturing the ever-changing light of the Scottish landscape is outstanding, and her subtle but strong still life paintings are highly-prized. Work is held in many public and corporate collections worldwide, including the Royal Bank of Scotland and Sara Lee Holdings. In The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 12th September 2021 "The Silver Table" (lot 562), a mixed media by Ethel Walker sold for £2600 (hammer) and in our December 2021 auction "The Lace Cloth" achieved £3000 (hammer).
* ALAN KING PAI (SCOTTISH 1946 - 2013) LOOKING BOTH WAYS oil on panel, signed, titled and dated 2009 versoframed and under glass image size 21cm x 15cm, overall size 42cm x 36cm Handwritten label verso.Note: Alan King was a frequent contributor and a great favourite in The Scottish Contemporary Art Auctions between 2008 and 2013. McTear's has established a succession of UK auction record prices for Alan King's work in recent years and the current record is £3600 for Weavers of Truth, lot 275 27th November 2016. Although Alan was a much respected and successful artist during his lifetime, auction prices since 2013 have continued to rise, even though very few collectors have so far opted to sell their examples of his work.
* SHEILA MACMILLAN DA PAI (SCOTTISH 1928 - 2018), LOOKING OUT FROM THE CASTLE oil on board, signed and dated '99framed and under glassimage size 43cm x 39cm, overall size 56cm x 52cm Note: Sheila Macnab Macmillan was born in Glasgow in 1928. She attained a degree in Geography at Glasgow University and went on to train as a teacher. However, she had always painted and her talent was strongly encouraged by her uncle the distinguished Iain Macnab RE ROI (1890 - 1967) who persuaded Sheila to come to London and train under him. Iain Macnab had been Principal at Heatherley's Art School (1925 - 1940) and then went on to be founding Principal of the hugely influential Grosvenor School of Modern Art. Sheila's London influences and Glasgow School foundations evolved into a distinctive and individual style. She usually worked "en plein air" and her work is semi-abstract. She focused mainly on landscape where her training as a geographer, allowed her to use her understanding of land formation, the delicate balance of the seasons and the interaction between Man and the environment. Her uncle's concept of "rhythm" is evident in Sheila's work and remained a constant throughout her career. She painted in Scotland, Spain. France and Italy and exhibited widely, especially in Glasgow, Edinburgh, London and Newcastle. Her work appeared frequently at the Royal Scottish Academy, Royal Glasgow Institute, Paisley Art Institute annual exhibitions and at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition (London). She won numerous awards and prizes over a long and distinguished career. In recent times we have offered a growing number of Sheila Macmillan's paintings with several achieving more than £1000. The current leading price is £1700 (hammer) for "Ronda, Spain", a 45 x 48cm oil on board (lot 510A, The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction 24th October 2021).
JOHN JOHNSTONE SSA (SCOTTISH b. 1941), STEVEN CAMPBELL AND ADRIAN WISZNIEWSKI IN ARGYLE STREET mixed media on board, signed, titled label versoframed image size 89cm x 79cm, overall size 97cm x 86cm Handwritten artist's label versoNote 1: a copy of the 72 page hardback book "John Johnstone" published in 2005 with a foreword by Edward Lucie-Smith is included in this lotNote 2: John Johnstone is one of Scotland’s leading artists working in a figurative style. He was born in Forfar in 1941. He studied at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art from 1959 to 1964 under David McClure and Alberto Morrocco. He later returned to teach life drawing classes to a new generation of artists who have gone on to forge their own successful careers. He is a regular exhibitor at the Royal Scottish Academy and the Scottish Society of Artists and is a professional member of the Scottish Society of Artists and Scottish Visual Arts. “My paintings seem to be expressing something, either serious or amusing about life. They depict people acting out minor dramas. Gesture, composition, characterisation and setting are important. There is an element of gravity in them, but the humorous side probably eclipses that aspect.” Art historian Edward Lucie-Smith wrote: “John Johnstone is a unique artist – in the special sense that he has no problem in being original. His only problem is keeping that originality within bounds.” John has works in public and private collections at home and aboard including HRH the Duke of Edinburgh, The Carnegie Trust Art Collection, Angus Council Collection, Dundee City Collection, The McManus Galleries Collection and Fife Council Museums West Collection. In The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 21st August 2022, lot 205, "Jiving at the Palais" by John Johnstone sold for £1200 (hammer).
* JOHN LOWRIE MORRISON OBE (JOLOMO) (SCOTTISH b. 1948), NORTH UIST MACHAIR oil on canvas, signed, titled and dated 2007 versoframed and under glassimage size 61cm x 61cm, overall size 87cm x 87cmProvenance: Purchased by the seller from Jolomo's 'A Tour of the Inner Hebrides' Exhibition May 2007.Artist's label verso Note: Jolomo remains one of Scotland's most celebrated contemporary artists. In The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 13th December 2020, lot 717 "Birlinn Leaving the Uists" by Jolomo sold for £7000 (hammer) and on 20th June 2021 lot 641 "Nick's Tug at Crinan" achieved £6000 (hammer). In our August 2021 auction, "Portnahaven, Islay" sold for £6000 (hammer). These being just three of numerous recent auction prices which reflect the strong and ever-growing collector demand from both the UK and abroad for the vibrant work of John Lowrie Morrison. In The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 28th September 2023 lot 38 LEE SHORE - NO LANDING ON STAFFA, sold for £8000 (hammer) setting a new auction record for a painting by John Lowrie Morrison.
* CATRIONA MILLAR, WONDERLAND oil on canvas, monogrammed framed image size 51cm x 41cm, overall size 68cm x 58cm Note: 'One of Scotland’s most collectable artists, Catriona Millar captures hearts and the imagination.' Scotland on Sunday. Ever since Catriona Millar’s 2005 Degree Show at Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen sold out within hours, her unique and highly distinctive figurative oil paintings have captivated and delighted art collectors. The 'Sunday Herald' newspaper has ranked Catriona Millar in the top five most collectable Scottish artists and her work is admired and collected throughout Europe, the Far East and America. She has won the respect and acclaim of collectors, critics and leading galleries while her stunning works continue to enjoy a special place amongst the contemporary art buying public. Catriona Millar’s paintings speak a universal language to all ages and over the past few years many schoolchildren around the world have studied her work. In 2012 Catriona Millar relocated to East Sussex and she exhibits regularly in London, Devon and Bath. Catriona Millar is published by Canns Down Press and Art Cards Cornwall. Catriona Millar is listed in the 2012 edition of Who's Who in Scotland. In the Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 3rd May 2015 lot 2138 "The Agency" by Millar sold for £2800 (hammer).
* JAMES HARRIGAN (SCOTTISH b. 1937), THE BRAES OF BALQUHIDDER oil on board, signedframed and under glass Image size: 49cm x 74cm, overall size 72cm x 97cm Label verso: The Gatehouse Gallery, Glasgow.Note: James Harrigan is a graduate of Glasgow School of Art where he studied Painting and Printmaking between 1956 and 1961. He was born in Ayr in 1937 and has continued to live in Ayrshire all his life. He taught Art for many years and was an inspiring teacher with many of his pupils going on themselves to develop successful careers as artists. In recent years James has spent time in the West Indies and in Brazil but he never tires of painting the landscape and coastline around his Ayrshire home and elsewhere in Scotland. He is known mainly as a landscape artist but his landscapes are almost invariably informed by a human presence and day to day activities, a sense of life being lived. This may be actual figures or it may be a suggestion of human life through buildings, gardens, boats.... He is an expressive painter working mainly in oils, using the rich, luscious quality of the paint to great effect. He exhibits widely and has work in many collections including those of the House of Lords, Glasgow University, P & O Cruises, Wigtownshire Education Trust and the Maclaurin Gallery. He is a past winner of the prestigious Laing Landscape Competition and the Scotsman Art Competition. In The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 10th November 2022, lot 52 "Girvan Harbour" a 48 x 58cm oil on board (dated 1998) by James Harrigan sold for £2200 (hammer). Since then "Sailing at Elie" a 50 x 75cm oil (by James Harrigan) sold in our auction of 13th December 2023 (lot 10) for £2400 (hammer) and in our 9th May 2024 auction lot 175 Summer Morning (View to Arran) a 51 x 77cm oil (by Harrigan) sold for £3000 (hammer).
* GORDON K MITCHELL RSA RSW RGI (SCOTTISH b. 1952), SUBLIME oil on canvas, signed, titled versoframed and under glassimage size 24cm x 19cm, overall size 44cm x 39cm Handwritten artist's label versoLabel verso: Roger Billcliffe Gallery, Glasgow.Note: Prizes and Awards include: Borders Biennial Exhibition; First Prize, City Arts Centre, Open Exhibition; First Prize, Educational Institute for Scotland; Purchase Prize, Glasgow Mayfest Award, Royal Scottish Academy Award; First Prize, Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolour; William Gillies Award, Scottish Drawing Competition, Paisley; Second Prize, Royal Scottish Academy; J. Murray Thompson Award, Scottish Artists and Artist Craftsmen; Arts Club Prize, Scottish Artists and Artist Craftsmen; Whyte & Mackay Award, Scottish Artists and Artist Craftsmen; Scottish Provident Award, Scottish Artists and Artist Craftsmen; Dunfermline Building Society Prize, Scottish Artists and Artist Craftsmen; SSWA Special Award. Solo Exhibitions include Dorothy Quinn Gallery, St. Andrews, Henderson Gallery, Edinburgh, Old City Art Gallery, Jerusalem, Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh (biannually since 1992), Roger Billcliffe Fine Art, Glasgow (biannually since 1993), Atholl Gallery, Dunkeld (1993) Albemarle Gallery (biannually since 1997). Represented in Group Exhibitions in the United Kingdom, including:Allan Park Gallery, Stirling, Atholl Gallery, Dunkeld, Borders Biennial Exhibition, City Arts Centre, Edinburgh, Contemporary British Art Show, London, Contemporary Fine Art Gallery, Fine Art Society Galleries, Glasgow, Gracefield Art Centre, Dumfries, Hilton Hotel, Hong Kong, John Martin of London, Kirkcaldy Art Gallery, Mall Galleries, London, Morrison Scottish Portrait ExhibitionOpen Eye Gallery, Edinburgh, Paisley Art Institute, Portland Gallery, London, Richard Demarco Gallery, Edinburgh, Roger Billcliffe Fine Art, Glasgow, Royal Glasgow Institute, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh, Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolour, Scottish Arts Club, Edinburgh, Scottish Arts Council Gallery, Smith Art Gallery & Museum, Society of Scottish ArtistsSociety of Scottish Artists and Artist Craftsmen, Stirling Gallery, Talbot Rice Gallery, Edinburgh Group Exhibitions held abroad: Through the `Old City Gallery` Jerusalem, paintings have been included in group exhibitions in Israel, Australia, Canada, U.S.A. and Sweden. Blue and White Gallery, Jerusalem, Contemporary Scottish Art 1994, Hilton Hotel, Hong Kong Collections: Works held in a great many private and public collections, including; Alliance & Leicester Building Society, Edinburgh Distillers Co. Ltd, Edinburgh College of Art, Educational Institute for Scotland, Johnny Walker Whisky Co, Kansas City Art Institute, Macfarlane Group Plc, National Westminster Bank, Paisley Art Institute, Scottish Arts Council, Scottish Brewers Limited, Slottseal Forthside Limited, The Knesset, Israel, University of Edinburgh, Welcome Inns, Whyte & Mackay Group, William Teacher & Sons (Whisky). One of the most recent examples of Gordon Mitchell's paintings we've offered was "Castaway" a 73 x 98cm oil on canvas which sold in The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 24th January 2021 for £8000 (hammer) setting a new auction world record for a work by the artist.
* GORDON K MITCHELL RSA RSW RGI (SCOTTISH b. 1952), LIGHT READING oil on canvas, signed,framed and under glasstitled and dated 1994 versoimage size 41cm x 56cm, overall size 56cm x 71cm Handwritten label verso.Exhibition label verso: The Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh.Note: Prizes and Awards include: Borders Biennial Exhibition; First Prize, City Arts Centre, Open Exhibition; First Prize, Educational Institute for Scotland; Purchase Prize, Glasgow Mayfest Award, Royal Scottish Academy Award; First Prize, Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolour; William Gillies Award, Scottish Drawing Competition, Paisley; Second Prize, Royal Scottish Academy; J. Murray Thompson Award, Scottish Artists and Artist Craftsmen; Arts Club Prize, Scottish Artists and Artist Craftsmen; Whyte & Mackay Award, Scottish Artists and Artist Craftsmen; Scottish Provident Award, Scottish Artists and Artist Craftsmen; Dunfermline Building Society Prize, Scottish Artists and Artist Craftsmen; SSWA Special Award. Solo Exhibitions include Dorothy Quinn Gallery, St. Andrews, Henderson Gallery, Edinburgh, Old City Art Gallery, Jerusalem, Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh (biannually since 1992), Roger Billcliffe Fine Art, Glasgow (biannually since 1993), Atholl Gallery, Dunkeld (1993) Albemarle Gallery (biannually since 1997). Represented in Group Exhibitions in the United Kingdom, including:Allan Park Gallery, Stirling, Atholl Gallery, Dunkeld, Borders Biennial Exhibition, City Arts Centre, Edinburgh, Contemporary British Art Show, London, Contemporary Fine Art Gallery, Fine Art Society Galleries, Glasgow, Gracefield Art Centre, Dumfries, Hilton Hotel, Hong Kong, John Martin of London, Kirkcaldy Art Gallery, Mall Galleries, London, Morrison Scottish Portrait ExhibitionOpen Eye Gallery, Edinburgh, Paisley Art Institute, Portland Gallery, London, Richard Demarco Gallery, Edinburgh, Roger Billcliffe Fine Art, Glasgow, Royal Glasgow Institute, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh, Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolour, Scottish Arts Club, Edinburgh, Scottish Arts Council Gallery, Smith Art Gallery & Museum, Society of Scottish ArtistsSociety of Scottish Artists and Artist Craftsmen, Stirling Gallery, Talbot Rice Gallery, Edinburgh Group Exhibitions held abroad: Through the `Old City Gallery` Jerusalem, paintings have been included in group exhibitions in Israel, Australia, Canada, U.S.A. and Sweden. Blue and White Gallery, Jerusalem, Contemporary Scottish Art 1994, Hilton Hotel, Hong Kong Collections: Works held in a great many private and public collections, including; Alliance & Leicester Building Society, Edinburgh Distillers Co. Ltd, Edinburgh College of Art, Educational Institute for Scotland, Johnny Walker Whisky Co, Kansas City Art Institute, Macfarlane Group Plc, National Westminster Bank, Paisley Art Institute, Scottish Arts Council, Scottish Brewers Limited, Slottseal Forthside Limited, The Knesset, Israel, University of Edinburgh, Welcome Inns, Whyte & Mackay Group, William Teacher & Sons (Whisky). One of the most recent examples of Gordon Mitchell's paintings we've offered was "Castaway" a 73 x 98cm oil on canvas which sold in The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 24th January 2021 for £8000 (hammer) setting a new auction world record for a work by the artist.
* JOHN BELLANY CBE RA HRSA (SCOTTISH 1942 - 2013), BERWICK oil on canvas, signed, titled versoframedimage size 76cm x 102cm, overall size 89cm x 114cm Note: Collector demand has never been higher for the work of John Bellany and numerous examples have been sold in recent months by both McTear's and others at ever more impressive prices. In The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 29th May 2022 "The Finnon Smoker" by Bellany sold for £80,000 (hammer) and in the same sale, "Bass Rock Fable" (a 76 x 61cm unframed oil) sold for £12,000 (hammer). In our 21st August 2022 auction, lot 137 "The Newspaper Hat" (a 61 x 51cm oil) sold for £9500 (hammer). "Like-for-like" auction prices for original paintings are usually difficult to assess, but in The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of April 2023, two Bellany paintings which had been acquired in our auctions in September and November 2014 were consigned for sale by the same owner. The original 2014 selling prices were £1800 and £4000 and the same paintings sold in April for £3800 and £7000 (all hammer prices). This equates to a growth in value of 86.2% in fewer than nine years. In The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 25th May 2023, lot 282, "Restless Wave" a 90 x 90cm oil (by Bellany) sold for £9000 (hammer) and in our auction of 9th November, lot 92, "Harbour" a 90 x 120cm oil by Bellany sold for £11000 (hammer). Most recently, "The Players" lot 50 in our auction of 28th March 2024 sold for £30000 (hammer).
* DAVID REDPATH MICHIE OBE RSA RWA FRSA RGI (SCOTTISH 1928 - 2015), FIVE DARK FISH ON HEAD oil on board, signed and dated '64framed and under glassimage size 29cm x 36cm, overall size 38cm x 45cm Note: David Michie was born at Saint-Raphaël in the south of France. His father, James Michie, was an architect and painter who had been an apprentice to Edwin Lutyens at the War Graves Commission, helping to lay out cemeteries in northern France after the First World War. His mother was the celebrated artist Anne Redpath OBE RSA. David’s early years were spent living in St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat where his father was private architect to American tycoon Charles Thompson. Later, the vibrant colour schemes of the Côte d’Azur would infuse his work. In 1934, David returned to Scotland with his family and settled in the Scottish Borders where David attended school in Hawick. In 1946, he enrolled at the Edinburgh College of Art but his time there was interrupted in 1947 with the introduction of National Service. He completed his service in the Signal Corps, qualifying as an instructor with the Royal Artillery Signals in 1949 and returned to Edinburgh College of Art where he was taught by William Gillies RSA. In 1953 he received a travelling scholarship to Italy, accompanied by his friend, the painter John Houston. They toured the Renaissance sites of Tuscany, and stayed in the hilltop towns of Anticoli Corrado and Orvieto in Umbria. John Houston RSA and his wife Elizabeth Blackadder RSA were to remain life-long friends. Colour was central to David’s painting. Working in both oils and watercolour, David’s subjects ranged from nature, garden compositions and his observance of people going about their everyday activities. His work was regularly inspired by his travels to far-flung places such as Australia, the USA and across Europe and is very effectively seen in his RSA Diploma painting On the Ramblas (1976) which invokes a colourful and busy Barcelona street scene. David taught widely, lecturing at James Clarke’s School in Edinburgh and Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen. He was a visiting professor at the Academy of Fine Art in Belgrade and the University of California. He returned to Edinburgh College of Art to teach painting during the 1960s and 1970s, and was Vice Principal there from1974-77. Between 1982 and 1990 he was Head of the School of Drawing and Painting. In 2009, he received an Honorary Fellowship from the College “in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the life of the college and the education of its students”. David was a prominent member of the Royal Scottish Academy, a former President of the Society of Scottish Artists and a member of the Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts. He was also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a Founding Fellow of the Institute of Contemporary Scotland. He served on a number of professional panels including those of the Scottish Arts Council and the Scottish Education Trust. Sixty-seven of his paintings are included in many significant public collections such as Aberdeen Art Gallery, Glasgow Museums, the National Galleries of Scotland, the City of Edinburgh Museums, The Fleming Collection and the Tate. David was elected an Associate of the Royal Scottish Academy in 1964 and Royal Scottish Academician in 1972. He was appointed OBE in 1997. Was a regular exhibitor in one-man shows at Mercury Gallery and later ones including The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh. Work held by HM Queen Elizabeth II.
* SIMON LAURIE RSW RGI (SCOTTISH b. 1964), GONDOLAS acrylic on board, signed, titled versoframedimage size 75cm x 81cm, overall size 93cm x 98cmNote: Simon Laurie is a contemporary Scottish landscape and still life artist, whose paintings are characterised by references to Scottish life and society, incorporating fish, boats, religious symbols and everyday items. These objects are arranged upon a rich textural ground created by the application of multiple layers of acrylic paint. He has worked with acrylic paint for almost 30 years, developing his own individual style and fundamental visual language. Laurie was born in Glasgow and studied at Glasgow School of Art from 1982 to 1988. He was elected a member of the Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolours (RSW) in 1991 and the Royal Glasgow Institute (RGI) in 2000, where he served as convener for six years. He has had many solo shows, both in the UK and abroad, and has won many prestigious and major awards. His work is held in many public, private and corporate collections including Aberdeen Art Gallery, Contemporary Arts Society, London; Feren Art Gallery, Hull; Freshfields, London; Leicestershire Education Committee; Lillie Art Gallery, Milngavie; Nationwide Building Society, London; Royal Bank of Scotland; TSB Headquarters, London; Unilever PLC; William Teacher and Sons Ltd; Wyse Group; Walter Scott Investments Ltd, Edinburgh; Biggart Baillie; Aberdeen Asset Management; The Whisky Society, Edinburgh; Adam and Co Bank; Provident Financial; The Scottish Arts Club, Edinburgh.
* PETER GOODFELLOW (BRITISH 1950 - 2022), DAWN AT DUNNOTTAR oil on canvas, signedframedimage size 122cm x 152cm, overall size 136cm x 166cmNote 1: The painting was inspired by the attack on the English garrison on the site in 1297 by William Wallace during the first War of Independence. Wallace set fire to the chapel in which the English soldiers had taken shelter. Others were pushed over the cliffs into the North Sea. Note 2: Peter Goodfellow's paintings rarely appear at auction and his UK auction record price was achieved in The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction 26th February 2017 when lot 15 BUACHAILLE ETIVE MOR sold for £2800 (hammer). A notable (2000/02) commission by the Hon Phillip Astor to design and paint a series of 24 artworks and three stained glass windows for a private chapel in Migvie, (Tillypronie Estate) Aberdeenshire. Public and corporate collections include: Victoria & Albert Museum, Saatchi & Saatchi, Whitbread, Penguin Books, Baxter’s Foods, William Collins & Sons, Scandutch (Denmark), IC, National Savings, British Telecom, Quantas Airlines, Scania Motors (Sweden), Grisewood & Dempsey Publishers, Bergsoe 3 (Denmark), Peter Justenson (Denmark), Cidel Bank (Luxembourg), Intergrated Engineering Services (Aberdeen), The BBC, Duncan & Todd (Aberdeen) and CBC (Copenhagen).
* MURIEL BARCLAY, THE BALLERINA oil on canvas, signedframed image size 25cm x 25cm, overall size 46cm x 46cmLabel verso: The Stenton Gallery, East Lothian.Note: In the inaugural Scottish Contemporary Art Auction staged by McTear's on 22nd November 2008, "Pink Tutu Tune" by Muriel Barclay sold for £7475 (premium) which was widely reported to be a record price for any maiden painting at public auction by a Scottish artist (past or present). Muriel Barclay is one of Scotland's most successful living artists and her exhibiting history is impressive. Her paintings are enthusiastically collected around the UK and beyond. Known collections include: Sir Arnold Clark, Lord Harris, The Sultan of Brunei, Alex McLeish, Sir Jack Harvey, HBOS, Biggart Baillie, Arisaig Partners, Ernie Els (golfer) and numerous other prestigious corporate and private collections worldwide. In The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 13th December 2020 "Peace Delegation" (a 77 x 87cm oil, lot 612) by Barclay, sold for £5500 (hammer). On 24th October 2021, “Venice” sold for £6000 (hammer), and in our 12th September 2024 auction lot 249 "Lacing" by Barclay, sold for £5000 (hammer).
* ROBYN DENNY BRITISH 1930 - 2014), SIX MINIATURES screenprint on paper, titled and dated 1975 labels verso, published for P.S.A. Supplies Division by Editions Alecto mounted, framed and under glass image size 68cm x 95cm, overall size 76cm x 103cm Label verso: Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh.Note: British abstract painter, printmaker, and designer. He was born at Abinger, Surrey, and studied at St Martin's School of Art and the Royal College of Art, 1951–7. He was among the young British painters enormously impressed by the scale and energy of Abstract Expressionist painting. Early paintings such as Red Beat 6 (1958) combined gestural handling with lettering: like the Pop artists, Denny was fascinated by the qualities of urban space. In 1959, alongside Richard Smith and Ralph Rumney (1934–2002), a painter with connections to the Situationist International, he mounted ‘Place’ at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London. The paintings were organized in a kind of maze which forced the viewer up close against them. In 1960 he helped organize the first ‘Situation’ exhibition, a landmark in British abstract art. One of the pictures he showed there is Baby is Three (1960, Tate), which is typical of the calm, meditational character of his work. The title derives from a science fiction story. In his work of the early 1960s he used very soft, muted colours applied with an immaculate flat finish within a subtle geometrical framework which tends to suggest doorways or other architectural features. Later his brushwork became more painterly. In 1973 he became the youngest artist ever to be given a Tate Gallery retrospective. He received many public commissions, including a series of vitreous enamel panels at Embankment Underground Station in London.
JOHN JOHNSTONE SSA (SCOTTISH b. 1941), PETER HOWSON FACES ONE OF HIS PEOPLE mixed media on board, signed, titled label versoframed image size 91cm x 81cm, overall size 98cm x 88cm Handwritten artist's label versoNote 1: a copy of the 72 page hardback book "John Johnstone" published in 2005 with a foreword by Edward Lucie-Smith is included in this lotNote 2: John Johnstone is one of Scotland’s leading artists working in a figurative style. He was born in Forfar in 1941. He studied at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art from 1959 to 1964 under David McClure and Alberto Morrocco. He later returned to teach life drawing classes to a new generation of artists who have gone on to forge their own successful careers. He is a regular exhibitor at the Royal Scottish Academy and the Scottish Society of Artists and is a professional member of the Scottish Society of Artists and Scottish Visual Arts. “My paintings seem to be expressing something, either serious or amusing about life. They depict people acting out minor dramas. Gesture, composition, characterisation and setting are important. There is an element of gravity in them, but the humorous side probably eclipses that aspect.” Art historian Edward Lucie-Smith wrote: “John Johnstone is a unique artist – in the special sense that he has no problem in being original. His only problem is keeping that originality within bounds.” John has works in public and private collections at home and aboard including HRH the Duke of Edinburgh, The Carnegie Trust Art Collection, Angus Council Collection, Dundee City Collection, The McManus Galleries Collection and Fife Council Museums West Collection. In The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 21st August 2022, lot 205, "Jiving at the Palais" by John Johnstone sold for £1200 (hammer).
* MARGARETANN BENNETT RSW (SCOTTISH b. 1968), SMOULDER oil on board, signed, titled and dated 2011 versoframed and under glass image size 19cm x 16cm, overall size 38cm x 35cmLabel verso: Smithy Gallery, GlasgowNote: Margaretann Bennett graduated from the Glasgow School of Art in 1991 and has since worked full-time at her studio in Glasgow. She exhibits in galleries and at major art fairs throughout the UK, and in the major Scottish open exhibitions. She has won numerous awards and her paintings are held in the public collections of St Andrews Hospital, Fife, the Princess Margaret Rose Hospital, Edinburgh and in numerous corporate collections.. Margaretann is constantly pushing the boundaries of her work, resulting in a progressive transformation toward a darker imagery and narrative. It is not surprising that this no holds barred artist has a large and growing following who can't get enough of her exciting work. Awards include: The Mabel MacKinlay Award (RGI), The Scottish Arts Club Award (RSW), Inverarity One to One Travel Award RGI), The Arnold Clark Award (PAI), The Armour Award RGI), The William Bowie Award (PAI), The Landside College Watercolour Award (RGI), Contemporary Fine Art Gallery Award (PAI), The Glasgow Art Club Fellowship (RGI), Scottish Arts Council Individual Development Award (1997).
* FRANK COLCLOUGH (SCOTTISH 1941 - 2023), FRUIT & FLOWERS COMPOSITION oil on board, signed, titled versoframed and under glassimage size 31cm x 26cm, overall size 50cm x 45cm Note: Frank Colclough was born in Wick, Caithness and lived in London before settling back in Scotland in 1975. He originally worked as a design draughtsman while studying art at Camberwell Art School and worked as a professional artist since 1981. All Frank Colclough early contemporary paintings were in watercolour, but over recent years he worked in acrylic and oils. The inspiration for Frank Colclough paintings stems from his admiration of the Scottish colourist movement. This is reflected in his paintings which consist mainly of marine views of the Scottish West Coast and colourful still life studies. Frank Colclough contemporary paintings appear in many private and public art collections. The RSW, RGI and RSA have also regularly exhibited his work. Frank was a frequent, popular and very successful contributor to The Scottish Contemporary Art Auctions from 2008 for many years.
* FRANK COLCLOUGH (SCOTTISH 1941 - 2023), STUDY WITH MARIGOLDS oil on board, signed, titled versoframed and under glassimage size 26cm x 26cm, overall size 47cm x 47cm Note: Frank Colclough was born in Wick, Caithness and lived in London before settling back in Scotland in 1975. He originally worked as a design draughtsman while studying art at Camberwell Art School and worked as a professional artist since 1981. All Frank Colclough early contemporary paintings were in watercolour, but over recent years he worked in acrylic and oils. The inspiration for Frank Colclough paintings stems from his admiration of the Scottish colourist movement. This is reflected in his paintings which consist mainly of marine views of the Scottish West Coast and colourful still life studies. Frank Colclough contemporary paintings appear in many private and public art collections. The RSW, RGI and RSA have also regularly exhibited his work. Frank was a frequent, popular and very successful contributor to The Scottish Contemporary Art Auctions from 2008 for many years.
JOHN JOHNSTONE SSA (SCOTTISH b. 1941), MARCH CAME AGAIN oil and acrylic on board, signed, titled label versoframed image size 101cm x 117cm, overall size 106cm x 122cmHandwritten artist's label versoNote 1: a copy of the 72 page hardback book "John Johnstone" published in 2005 with a foreword by Edward Lucie-Smith is included in this lotNote 2: John Johnstone is one of Scotland’s leading artists working in a figurative style. He was born in Forfar in 1941. He studied at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art from 1959 to 1964 under David McClure and Alberto Morrocco. He later returned to teach life drawing classes to a new generation of artists who have gone on to forge their own successful careers. He is a regular exhibitor at the Royal Scottish Academy and the Scottish Society of Artists and is a professional member of the Scottish Society of Artists and Scottish Visual Arts. “My paintings seem to be expressing something, either serious or amusing about life. They depict people acting out minor dramas. Gesture, composition, characterisation and setting are important. There is an element of gravity in them, but the humorous side probably eclipses that aspect.” Art historian Edward Lucie-Smith wrote: “John Johnstone is a unique artist – in the special sense that he has no problem in being original. His only problem is keeping that originality within bounds.” John has works in public and private collections at home and aboard including HRH the Duke of Edinburgh, The Carnegie Trust Art Collection, Angus Council Collection, Dundee City Collection, The McManus Galleries Collection and Fife Council Museums West Collection. In The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 21st August 2022, lot 205, "Jiving at the Palais" by John Johnstone sold for £1200 (hammer).
* PETER GOODFELLOW (BRITISH 1950 - 2022), BLACK CUILLIN watercolour on paper, signedmounted, framed and under glassimage size 49cm x 70cm, overall size 85cm x 105cm Notes: Peter Goodfellow's paintings rarely appear at auction and his UK auction record price was achieved in The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction 26th February 2017 when lot 15 BUACHAILLE ETIVE MOR sold for £2800 (hammer). A notable (2000/02) commission by the Hon Phillip Astor to design and paint a series of 24 artworks and three stained glass windows for a private chapel in Migvie, (Tillypronie Estate) Aberdeenshire. Public and corporate collections include: Victoria & Albert Museum, Saatchi & Saatchi, Whitbread, Penguin Books, Baxter’s Foods, William Collins & Sons, Scandutch (Denmark), IC, National Savings, British Telecom, Quantas Airlines, Scania Motors (Sweden), Grisewood & Dempsey Publishers, Bergsoe 3 (Denmark), Peter Justenson (Denmark), Cidel Bank (Luxembourg), Intergrated Engineering Services (Aberdeen), The BBC, Duncan & Todd (Aberdeen) and CBC (Copenhagen).
* GEORGE DEVLIN RSW RGI ROI ARWS FRSA (SCOTTISH 1937 - 2014), AT THE RIVA DELLA SCHIAVONI pastel on paper, signed, titled label versomounted, framed and under glassimage size 22cm x 29cm, overall size 50cm x 56cm Label verso: Barclay Lennie Fine Art Ltd., Glasgow.Note: George Devlin was one of Scotland's most successful 20th century artists with numerous exhibitions in Scotland, throughout the UK and around the world. Corporate collections include: De Beers (South Africa and Switzerland); Robert Fleming Holdings; Dutch Water Board; London Stock Exchange; Arthur Andersen and Co; Scottish Television; Universities of Leicester, Glasgow and Strathclyde, Essex, Dunbartonshire, Argyll and Tayside; Edinburgh City Collection; Royal Bank of Scotland; Clydesdale Bank; Lloyds TSB; Bank of Scotland; J. O. Hambro; Mason Owen; Dunedin Trust Management; Dunfermline Building Society; Argyll Group; Scottish Friendly Society; United Distillers; Teachers Whisky; Edrington Group and Clan Donald Centre; Cunard (QM2), Dunbartonshire Educational Trust. Private collections include: Sir Tim Rice; Sir James Black; Earl Haig; Lord Maclay; Duke of Bedford and numerous collections in the UK and worldwide. In The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 6th March 2022, two smaller examples of George Devlin's continental scenes sold for £2200 and £3300 (both hammer prices). In The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 30th January 2025, lot 189 "Twilight, Bacino San Marco" an 102 x 107cm oil by Devlin sold for £3800 (hammer).
GRAHAM H D MCKEAN, PLENTY MORE FISH IN THE SEA oil on canvas, signed, titled versoframedimage size 50cm x 50cm, overall size 68cm x 68ccm Note: In 1996, after 17 years as a graphic designer, Graham McKean decided to commit himself totally to producing his oil paintings. Graham McKean’s paintings have featured in numerous exhibitions and are increasingly appearing at the U.K.’s leading auction houses. His work has now become highly collectible and is held in prestigious private and public collections worldwide. Graham also supports a number of charities through events and auctions. A review by the late W. Gordon Smith (Art Critic, The Scotsman), described the work of Graham McKean as a cross between the painters John Byrne and Stanley Spencer, but with an “interesting bite”. Graham McKean needs little introduction to our buyer audience having been consistently one of our most popular and best selling artists since the inaugural Scottish Contemporary Art Auction in November 2008.
* FRANK COLCLOUGH (SCOTTISH 1941 - 2023), GREENAN CASTLE oil on board, signed, titled versoframed and under glassimage size 25ccm x 25cm, overall size 45cm x 45cm Note: Frank Colclough was born in Wick, Caithness and lived in London before settling back in Scotland in 1975. He originally worked as a design draughtsman while studying art at Camberwell Art School and worked as a professional artist since 1981. All Frank Colclough early contemporary paintings were in watercolour, but over recent years he worked in acrylic and oils. The inspiration for Frank Colclough paintings stems from his admiration of the Scottish colourist movement. This is reflected in his paintings which consist mainly of marine views of the Scottish West Coast and colourful still life studies. Frank Colclough contemporary paintings appear in many private and public art collections. The RSW, RGI and RSA have also regularly exhibited his work. Frank was a frequent, popular and very successful contributor to The Scottish Contemporary Art Auctions from 2008 for many years.
* JOHN BELLANY CBE RA HRSA (SCOTTISH 1942 - 2013), THE EYEMOUTH DISASTER limited edition lithograph on paper, signed and inscribed 'archive'framed and under glassimage size 62cm x 42cm, overall size 78cm x 58cmNote 1: The Eyemouth disaster was caused by a storm off the south-eastern coast of Scotland in 1881 in which 189 fishermen, most of them from the fishing community of Eyemouth, were drowned after being driven onto the treacherous Hurkur rocks that lie outside Eyemouth harbour bay. This picture portrays a young mother with her child and an older woman waiting, almost certainly in vain, for her husband to return. Eyemouth was not only associated in Bellany’s mind with disaster; It was also the home of his much loved grandparents.Note 2: Collector demand has never been higher for the work of John Bellany and numerous examples have been sold in recent months by both McTear's and others at ever more impressive prices. In The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 29th May 2022 "The Finnon Smoker" by Bellany sold for £80,000 (hammer) and in the same sale, "Bass Rock Fable" (a 76 x 61cm unframed oil) sold for £12,000 (hammer). In our 21st August 2022 auction, lot 137 "The Newspaper Hat" (a 61 x 51cm oil) sold for £9500 (hammer). "Like-for-like" auction prices for original paintings are usually difficult to assess, but in The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of April 2023, two Bellany paintings which had been acquired in our auctions in September and November 2014 were consigned for sale by the same owner. The original 2014 selling prices were £1800 and £4000 and the same paintings sold in April for £3800 and £7000 (all hammer prices). This equates to a growth in value of 86.2% in fewer than nine years. In The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 25th May 2023, lot 282, "Restless Wave" a 90 x 90cm oil (by Bellany) sold for £9000 (hammer) and in our auction of 9th November, lot 92, "Harbour" a 90 x 120cm oil by Bellany sold for £11000 (hammer). Most recently, "The Players" lot 50 in our auction of 28th March 2024 sold for £30000 (hammer).
* PETER THOMSON RGI RSW (SCOTTISH b. 1962), ABSINTHE oil on panel, signed, titled labels versoframed and under glass image size 22cm x 22cm, overall size 39cm x 39cm Handwritten artist's label versoLabel verso: Compass Gallery, Glasgow.Note: Peter Thomson graduated from Glasgow School of Art in 1984 with a degree in Drawing and Painting. Inspired by Edward Hopper, Thomson has a surreal take on everyday scenarios and uses thick layered oil paint in his paintings to provide a blurred and feathered glimpse into his imagination. His latest body of work focuses on what Thomson calls "contemporary observations" and pays an homage to a series of his most admired artists. He has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions throughout the UK, Europe and the USA. Thomson was elected as a member of the Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts (RGI) in 2015 and the Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolour (RSW) in 2016. His work can be found in many national collections such as the Gallery of Modern Art Glasgow, Scottish Arts Council and the Fleming Collection, London.
* FRANK COLCLOUGH (SCOTTISH 1941 - 2023), SPARKLING WATERS -ARGYLL acrylic on board, signed, titled versoframed and under glassimage size 26cm x 21cm, overall size 41cm x 36cm Note: Frank Colclough was born in Wick, Caithness and lived in London before settling back in Scotland in 1975. He originally worked as a design draughtsman while studying art at Camberwell Art School and worked as a professional artist since 1981. All Frank Colclough early contemporary paintings were in watercolour, but over recent years he worked in acrylic and oils. The inspiration for Frank Colclough paintings stems from his admiration of the Scottish colourist movement. This is reflected in his paintings which consist mainly of marine views of the Scottish West Coast and colourful still life studies. Frank Colclough contemporary paintings appear in many private and public art collections. The RSW, RGI and RSA have also regularly exhibited his work. Frank was a frequent, popular and very successful contributor to The Scottish Contemporary Art Auctions from 2008 for many years.
* JOHN BELLANY CBE RA HRSA (SCOTTISH 1942 - 2013), WOMAN WITH FISH HAT oil on canvas, signed, titled and dated 1987 label versoframedimage size 76cm x 61cm, overall size 96cm x 80cm Labels verso: Beaux Arts, Bath; Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh.Note: Collector demand has never been higher for the work of John Bellany and numerous examples have been sold in recent months by both McTear's and others at ever more impressive prices. In The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 29th May 2022 "The Finnon Smoker" by Bellany sold for £80,000 (hammer) and in the same sale, "Bass Rock Fable" (a 76 x 61cm unframed oil) sold for £12,000 (hammer). In our 21st August 2022 auction, lot 137 "The Newspaper Hat" (a 61 x 51cm oil) sold for £9500 (hammer). "Like-for-like" auction prices for original paintings are usually difficult to assess, but in The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of April 2023, two Bellany paintings which had been acquired in our auctions in September and November 2014 were consigned for sale by the same owner. The original 2014 selling prices were £1800 and £4000 and the same paintings sold in April for £3800 and £7000 (all hammer prices). This equates to a growth in value of 86.2% in fewer than nine years. In The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 25th May 2023, lot 282, "Restless Wave" a 90 x 90cm oil (by Bellany) sold for £9000 (hammer) and in our auction of 9th November, lot 92, "Harbour" a 90 x 120cm oil by Bellany sold for £11000 (hammer). Most recently, "The Players" lot 50 in our auction of 28th March 2024 sold for £30000 (hammer).
* PAM CARTER DA PAI (SCOTTISH 1952 - 2022), WHITE SANDS OF THE WESTERN ISLES oil on canvas, signedframedimage size 67cm x 67cm, overall size 78cm x 78cm Note 1: Pam Carter was born in Tanganyika, East Africa to an Austrian mother and Scottish father. At the age of thirteen, she came to Scotland where she schooled at Bearsden Academy. She graduated from Glasgow School of Art in the seventies. "My main inspiration as an artist is in the Scottish landscape and seascape. I enjoy using colour to define contours, structure and changing light sequences. I search out specific viewpoints. I am equally inspired by the rugged isolation of the Western Isles and the dramatic viewpoints of the Eastern coastline. I work predominantly in oil". Pam Carter was unquestionably one of Scotland's most popular and successful contemporary artists. She won numerous awards and prizes, always received significant media attention, has been the subject of many magazine features and had several tv appearances. Her work is widely exhibited but rarely appears at auction. However, in The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 17th April 2022 lot 38 "Luskentyre Reflections" a 46 x 51cm oil by Pam Carter sold for £2000 (hammer) and in The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 10th July 2022 lot 230 "Gables Geary" sold for £2600 (hammer). Most recently, in The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 24th October 2024, lot 47 "West Coast Sunset" (61 x 61cm oil on canvas) by Pam Carter sold for £3600 (hammer).Note 2: Having lectured part-time for many years at Falkirk College, Pam retired and painted full-time from her studio in Torrance until her death in 2022. She was mostly influenced by the bright colours of the Scottish landscape. The white sands of the west coast are set against dramatic skies and the silhouettes of outlying islands stand like sentinels. Her interest in the use of strong colours may come from her origins in Africa. However, art school also taught her to see the colour and the work of the great colourists, from Titian to the Impressionists and has influenced her painting style over the years since graduation. Pam once said “Walking on empty beaches, alone with your thoughts, embracing the elements and hearing the sounds of the rhythm of nature can touch our souls. These are deeply spiritual moments when we often stop to consider the grand design of life itself. At these times it is easy to believe that there is a God and that the intention of life was to be all good. I love the Scottish landscape - it has all the form and textures that visually stimulate the senses. I am inspired not only by the scene but search out that "divine proportion"- aptly called and indeed the most pleasing to the eye. These thoughts follow me to the studio where I try to recreate not only the landscape but that spiritual moment. I take a long time to consider the design of my paintings and through the different stages correct and re-correct until, if not the "golden section" is reached, it has at least that same effect on my deep inner being. In my paintings you can feel the presence of mankind but rarely see them - the washing is hung, the lum is reeking, and the telegraph poles are talking. I pay tribute to the cultural past through the ancient dyke wall, the little harbours and the quaint crofts which are happily standing side by side with the grazing sheep. I use strong colour to interpret the drama of light in the landscape. I am inspired by the changing light sequences of the Western Isles and I have often been awestruck at witnessing what feels like a heavenly scene. Light features strongly in my work. Whether it be light bouncing off the waters of the Hebrides or the sunlit sands before an encroaching storm or sunlight moving across the landscape. It is ever changing, ever travelling. Light is synonymous with hope, a feeling of well being, joy and with God. I find myself always being drawn to the light in both my paintings and my life. That is my strength and my inspiration.
* JOHN BELLANY CBE RA HRSA (SCOTTISH 1942 - 2013), EYEMOUTH oil on canvas, signedframedimage size 92cm x 122cm, overall size 113cm x 143cm Note: Collector demand has never been higher for the work of John Bellany and numerous examples have been sold in recent months by both McTear's and others at ever more impressive prices. In The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 29th May 2022 "The Finnon Smoker" by Bellany sold for £80,000 (hammer) and in the same sale, "Bass Rock Fable" (a 76 x 61cm unframed oil) sold for £12,000 (hammer). In our 21st August 2022 auction, lot 137 "The Newspaper Hat" (a 61 x 51cm oil) sold for £9500 (hammer). "Like-for-like" auction prices for original paintings are usually difficult to assess, but in The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of April 2023, two Bellany paintings which had been acquired in our auctions in September and November 2014 were consigned for sale by the same owner. The original 2014 selling prices were £1800 and £4000 and the same paintings sold in April for £3800 and £7000 (all hammer prices). This equates to a growth in value of 86.2% in fewer than nine years. In The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 25th May 2023, lot 282, "Restless Wave" a 90 x 90cm oil (by Bellany) sold for £9000 (hammer) and in our auction of 9th November, lot 92, "Harbour" a 90 x 120cm oil by Bellany sold for £11000 (hammer). Most recently, "The Players" lot 50 in our auction of 28th March 2024 sold for £30000 (hammer).
* JOHN BELLANY CBE RA HRSA (SCOTTISH 1942 - 2013), TSUNAMI limited edition giclee print on paper, signed and numbered 10/55mounted, framed and under glassimage size 38cm x 30cm, overall size 64cm x 53cm Note: Collector demand has never been higher for the work of John Bellany and numerous examples have been sold in recent months by both McTear's and others at ever more impressive prices. In The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 29th May 2022 "The Finnon Smoker" by Bellany sold for £80,000 (hammer) and in the same sale, "Bass Rock Fable" (a 76 x 61cm unframed oil) sold for £12,000 (hammer). In our 21st August 2022 auction, lot 137 "The Newspaper Hat" (a 61 x 51cm oil) sold for £9500 (hammer). "Like-for-like" auction prices for original paintings are usually difficult to assess, but in The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of April 2023, two Bellany paintings which had been acquired in our auctions in September and November 2014 were consigned for sale by the same owner. The original 2014 selling prices were £1800 and £4000 and the same paintings sold in April for £3800 and £7000 (all hammer prices). This equates to a growth in value of 86.2% in fewer than nine years. In The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 25th May 2023, lot 282, "Restless Wave" a 90 x 90cm oil (by Bellany) sold for £9000 (hammer) and in our auction of 9th November, lot 92, "Harbour" a 90 x 120cm oil by Bellany sold for £11000 (hammer). Most recently, "The Players" lot 50 in our auction of 28th March 2024 sold for £30000 (hammer).
GRAHAM H D MCKEAN, NIGHT WATCHMAN oil on canvas, signed, titled versoframedimage size 25cm x 25cm, overall size 43cm x 43cm Note: In 1996, after 17 years as a graphic designer, Graham McKean decided to commit himself totally to producing his oil paintings. Graham McKean’s paintings have featured in numerous exhibitions and are increasingly appearing at the U.K.’s leading auction houses. His work has now become highly collectible and is held in prestigious private and public collections worldwide. Graham also supports a number of charities through events and auctions. A review by the late W. Gordon Smith (Art Critic, The Scotsman), described the work of Graham McKean as a cross between the painters John Byrne and Stanley Spencer, but with an “interesting bite”. Graham McKean needs little introduction to our buyer audience having been consistently one of our most popular and best selling artists since the inaugural Scottish Contemporary Art Auction in November 2008.
* SHEILA MACMILLAN DA PAI (SCOTTISH 1928 - 2018), SPANISH LANDSCAPE oil on board, signed and dated '99framed and under glassimage size 37cm x 44cm, overall size 52cm x 60cm Note: Sheila Macnab Macmillan was born in Glasgow in 1928. She attained a degree in Geography at Glasgow University and went on to train as a teacher. However, she had always painted and her talent was strongly encouraged by her uncle the distinguished Iain Macnab RE ROI (1890 - 1967) who persuaded Sheila to come to London and train under him. Iain Macnab had been Principal at Heatherley's Art School (1925 - 1940) and then went on to be founding Principal of the hugely influential Grosvenor School of Modern Art. Sheila's London influences and Glasgow School foundations evolved into a distinctive and individual style. She usually worked "en plein air" and her work is semi-abstract. She focused mainly on landscape where her training as a geographer, allowed her to use her understanding of land formation, the delicate balance of the seasons and the interaction between Man and the environment. Her uncle's concept of "rhythm" is evident in Sheila's work and remained a constant throughout her career. She painted in Scotland, Spain. France and Italy and exhibited widely, especially in Glasgow, Edinburgh, London and Newcastle. Her work appeared frequently at the Royal Scottish Academy, Royal Glasgow Institute, Paisley Art Institute annual exhibitions and at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition (London). She won numerous awards and prizes over a long and distinguished career. In recent times we have offered a growing number of Sheila Macmillan's paintings with several achieving more than £1000. The current leading price is £1700 (hammer) for "Ronda, Spain", a 45 x 48cm oil on board (lot 510A, The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction 24th October 2021).
GRAHAM H D MCKEAN, SORROW oil on canvas, signed, titled versoframedimage size 25cm x 25cm, overall size 43cm x 43cm Note: In 1996, after 17 years as a graphic designer, Graham McKean decided to commit himself totally to producing his oil paintings. Graham McKean’s paintings have featured in numerous exhibitions and are increasingly appearing at the U.K.’s leading auction houses. His work has now become highly collectible and is held in prestigious private and public collections worldwide. Graham also supports a number of charities through events and auctions. A review by the late W. Gordon Smith (Art Critic, The Scotsman), described the work of Graham McKean as a cross between the painters John Byrne and Stanley Spencer, but with an “interesting bite”. Graham McKean needs little introduction to our buyer audience having been consistently one of our most popular and best selling artists since the inaugural Scottish Contemporary Art Auction in November 2008.
* ALAN KING PAI (SCOTTISH 1946 - 2013), MEDICI MAN oil on panel, signed, titled and dated 2010 versoframed and under glass image size 29cm x 23cm, overall size 58cm x 51cm Handwritten artist's label versoLabel verso: Smithy Gallery, Glasgow.Note: A fine example of the work of Alan King, a frequent contributor and a great favourite in The Scottish Contemporary Art Auctions between 2008 and 2013.. McTear's has established a succession of UK auction record prices for Alan King's work in recent years and the current record is £3600 for Weavers of Truth, lot 275 27th November 2016. Although Alan was a much respected and successful artist during his lifetime, auction prices since 2013 have continued to rise, even though very few collectors have so far opted to sell their examples of his work. The red hat and stripey trousers are Alan King "trademarks".
* JOHN BELLANY CBE RA HRSA (SCOTTISH 1942 - 2013), CELTIC MAIDEN lithograph on papermounted, framed and under glassimage size 66cm x 50cm, overall size 83cm x 66cm Note: Collector demand has never been higher for the work of John Bellany and numerous examples have been sold in recent months by both McTear's and others at ever more impressive prices. In The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 29th May 2022 "The Finnon Smoker" by Bellany sold for £80,000 (hammer) and in the same sale, "Bass Rock Fable" (a 76 x 61cm unframed oil) sold for £12,000 (hammer). In our 21st August 2022 auction, lot 137 "The Newspaper Hat" (a 61 x 51cm oil) sold for £9500 (hammer). "Like-for-like" auction prices for original paintings are usually difficult to assess, but in The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of April 2023, two Bellany paintings which had been acquired in our auctions in September and November 2014 were consigned for sale by the same owner. The original 2014 selling prices were £1800 and £4000 and the same paintings sold in April for £3800 and £7000 (all hammer prices). This equates to a growth in value of 86.2% in fewer than nine years. In The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 25th May 2023, lot 282, "Restless Wave" a 90 x 90cm oil (by Bellany) sold for £9000 (hammer) and in our auction of 9th November, lot 92, "Harbour" a 90 x 120cm oil by Bellany sold for £11000 (hammer). Most recently, "The Players" lot 50 in our auction of 28th March 2024 sold for £30000 (hammer).
* HUGH GERARD BYARS (SCOTTISH b. 1957), PORTRAIT OF A MAN oil on canvas, signedframedimage size 20cm x 14cm, overall size 32cm x 25cmQty: 3Note: Byars trained at The Glasgow School of Art and then at The Royal College of Art in London. In 2001 he received a major award from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation (USA). Nineteen examples of his work are recorded within notable public collections including City of London Corporation, The Peoples Palace (Glasgow), MOMA (Wales), The Fleming Collection (London), Guildhall Art Gallery, Cheltenham Art Gallery and Glasgow Museums and Art Galleries. Hugh lives and works in Glasgow. He is a contemporary of Howson and of the same school as Campbell and Currie, and like them concentrates on the human form, and scenes from his local city. He often takes his inspiration from the derelicts and dossers in his native Glasgow. These are his Partick people who he paints with sympathy, graphic simplicity and powerful humanity. Hugh is one of the ''New Glasgow Boys'' school of painters.
* JOE HARGAN PAI PPAI (SCOTTISH b. 1952), PIANO FORTE oil on canvas, signed, titled versoframed and under glassimage size 102cm x 102cm, overall size 127cm x 127cmNote: The first time since August 2021 that we or any other auction house has offered a relatively recent full sized 40 x 40 inch Joe Hargan oil. This magnificent example in superb condition has been consigned by a private collector from Surrey who is in the process of downsizing. In The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 15th August 2021 lot 527 "Pia Pia Piano" by Joe Hargan sold for £7500 (hammer).Note 2: Joe Hargan, was born in 1952 in Glasgow. He studied Drawing and Painting at Glasgow School of Art from 1970 – 74 under Danny Ferguson RSW. RGI., James Downie Robertson RSW.RGI.RSA.PAI. and Dr David Donaldson RSA. RGI. D.LITT (Queen’s Limner). Joe is a well recognised and respected figure on the Scottish art scene. He was President and Chairman of the Paisley Art Institute from1989 – 2000 and he was President of the Glasgow Art Club from 2018 to 2021. Joe is also the recipient of numerous awards. Joe is a master of colour and tongue in cheek humour. His paintings are not only finely executed; they offer humorous and sometimes surreal vignettes of the good life. These feature "Sniffy" and various other characters within striking gallery and stately home settings. Recurring symbols and metaphors abound within the paintings, and one is often treated to a painting within a painting. An old master within a new master. Having a real thirst for knowledge, Joe values learning as a life long pleasure rather than a school bound necessity. Within a single painting one can find, he references to Velazquez and Damian Hirst sitting side by side. This is alongside symbols of the good life (wine), learning (books), and contemporary culture (the burger). He juxtaposes apparently opposing forces within single paintings. Contemporary art and the art of the old masters, ‘high’ culture and ‘low’ culture. Joe Hargan paintings have always been much sought after in our auctions.Very good condition with no visible or known issues.
* RYAN MUTTER (SCOTTISH b. 1978), HULL 534 oil on board, signed, titled versoframedimage size 70cm x 58cm, overall size 91cm x 78cm Note: Born in 1978, Ryan Mutter studied at The Glasgow School of Art, where he graduated in 2001. He has since won many distinguished awards, including a remarkable six from the Royal Glasgow Institute of Fine Arts. His inspiration comes from Britain's industrial heritage and its connection between man and the sea. In Glasgow alone, shipbuilding provided work for 70,000 men in more than 50 yards spread along 11 miles of quayside. But today these yards sit empty, a silent shadow of their former self. The advancements made in technology and design methods superseded the old, and made once important skills and craftsmanship redundant. This is what drives Ryan as he looks to capture and remind people of how important this workforce was in the development of the modern world. Ryan has built up a formidable reputation as a powerful contemporary painter of Industrial and Maritime subjects. His bold realism combined with expressionistic brushwork transports you into a world of arresting detail and mechanised splendour. Perhaps unsurprisingly, very few of Ryan Mutter's paintings appear at auction (anywhere) and his larger work is even rarer. However, in The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 28th March 2021, lot 517 "Cutty Sark in Moonlight" a relatively small 38 x 46cm oil on canvas (by Ryan Mutter) sold for £3000 (hammer)
* JOHN BELLANY CBE RA HRSA (SCOTTISH 1942 - 2013), WAITING FOR THE TIDE oil on canvas, signed, titled versoframed image size 77cm x 61cm, overall size 94cm x 80cm Label verso: Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh.Note: Collector demand has never been higher for the work of John Bellany and numerous examples have been sold in recent months by both McTear's and others at ever more impressive prices. In The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 29th May 2022 "The Finnon Smoker" by Bellany sold for £80,000 (hammer) and in the same sale, "Bass Rock Fable" (a 76 x 61cm unframed oil) sold for £12,000 (hammer). In our 21st August 2022 auction, lot 137 "The Newspaper Hat" (a 61 x 51cm oil) sold for £9500 (hammer). "Like-for-like" auction prices for original paintings are usually difficult to assess, but in The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of April 2023, two Bellany paintings which had been acquired in our auctions in September and November 2014 were consigned for sale by the same owner. The original 2014 selling prices were £1800 and £4000 and the same paintings sold in April for £3800 and £7000 (all hammer prices). This equates to a growth in value of 86.2% in fewer than nine years. In The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 25th May 2023, lot 282, "Restless Wave" a 90 x 90cm oil (by Bellany) sold for £9000 (hammer) and in our auction of 9th November, lot 92, "Harbour" a 90 x 120cm oil by Bellany sold for £11000 (hammer). Most recently, "The Players" lot 50 in our auction of 28th March 2024 sold for £30000 (hammer).
JOHN JOHNSTONE SSA (SCOTTISH b. 1941), A TRIP TO THE ROCK WITH BORIS, GRAYSON AND AUBREY mixed media on board, signed, titled label versoframed image size 99cm x 112cm, overall size 107cm x 120cm Label verso: Fidra Fine ArtHandwritten artist's label versoNote 1: a copy of the 72 page hardback book "John Johnstone" published in 2005 with a foreword by Edward Lucie-Smith is included in this lotNote 2: John Johnstone is one of Scotland’s leading artists working in a figurative style. He was born in Forfar in 1941. He studied at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art from 1959 to 1964 under David McClure and Alberto Morrocco. He later returned to teach life drawing classes to a new generation of artists who have gone on to forge their own successful careers. He is a regular exhibitor at the Royal Scottish Academy and the Scottish Society of Artists and is a professional member of the Scottish Society of Artists and Scottish Visual Arts. “My paintings seem to be expressing something, either serious or amusing about life. They depict people acting out minor dramas. Gesture, composition, characterisation and setting are important. There is an element of gravity in them, but the humorous side probably eclipses that aspect.” Art historian Edward Lucie-Smith wrote: “John Johnstone is a unique artist – in the special sense that he has no problem in being original. His only problem is keeping that originality within bounds.” John has works in public and private collections at home and aboard including HRH the Duke of Edinburgh, The Carnegie Trust Art Collection, Angus Council Collection, Dundee City Collection, The McManus Galleries Collection and Fife Council Museums West Collection. In The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 21st August 2022, lot 205, "Jiving at the Palais" by John Johnstone sold for £1200 (hammer).
* WILLIE RODGER RSA RGI (SCOTTISH 1930 - 2018), YESTERDAY'S BLOOMA artist's proof limited edition woodcut print on paper, signed, titled and numbered 'A/P'mounted, framed and under glassimage size 22cm x 25cm, overall size 41cm x 42cm Note: The Royal Scottish Academy website describes Willie Rodger as "one of the most significant artist-printmakers in recent Scottish art history". Born in Kirkintilloch in 1930, Rodger studied Graphics and Printmaking at Glasgow School of Art from 1948 to 1953. He received a rigorous education from a course that, at the time, only accepted the most skilled draughtsmen. By graduation Rodger had already sold two prints to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, and went on to a career in advertising. However, he became disillusioned with the cut and thrust of the commercial world and an opportunity to change careers and return to Scotland came about with a teaching vacancy at Lenzie Academy, then as Principal Teacher of Art at Clydebank High School, a post he held until early retirement in 1987. He was elected to the Royal Scottish Academy in 1989 and awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Stirling in 1999. In The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 28th February 2021 lot 562 "Reverie" by Willie Rodger established a new auction record for a print by the artist selling at £1200 (hammer).
* SHEILA MACMILLAN DA PAI (SCOTTISH 1928 - 2018), KILCHATTAN BAY, ISLE OF BUTE oil on board, titled versoframed and under glassimage size 20cm x 29cm, overall size 34cm x 44cmNote: Sheila Macnab Macmillan was born in Glasgow in 1928. She attained a degree in Geography at Glasgow University and went on to train as a teacher. However, she had always painted and her talent was strongly encouraged by her uncle the distinguished Iain Macnab RE ROI (1890 - 1967) who persuaded Sheila to come to London and train under him. Iain Macnab had been Principal at Heatherley's Art School (1925 - 1940) and then went on to be founding Principal of the hugely influential Grosvenor School of Modern Art. Sheila's London influences and Glasgow School foundations evolved into a distinctive and individual style. She usually worked "en plein air" and her work is semi-abstract. She focused mainly on landscape where her training as a geographer, allowed her to use her understanding of land formation, the delicate balance of the seasons and the interaction between Man and the environment. Her uncle's concept of "rhythm" is evident in Sheila's work and remained a constant throughout her career. She painted in Scotland, Spain. France and Italy and exhibited widely, especially in Glasgow, Edinburgh, London and Newcastle. Her work appeared frequently at the Royal Scottish Academy, Royal Glasgow Institute, Paisley Art Institute annual exhibitions and at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition (London). She won numerous awards and prizes over a long and distinguished career. In recent times we have offered a growing number of Sheila Macmillan's paintings with several achieving more than £1000. The current leading price is £1700 (hammer) for "Ronda, Spain", a 45 x 48cm oil on board (lot 510A, The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction 24th October 2021).
* JOHN BELLANY CBE RA HRSA (SCOTTISH 1942 - 2013), EAST COAST WITH BASS ROCK IN THE DISTANCE pastel on paper, signedmounted, framed and under glassimage size 37cm x 55cm, overall size 71cm x 86cm Note: Collector demand has never been higher for the work of John Bellany and numerous examples have been sold in recent months by both McTear's and others at ever more impressive prices. In The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 29th May 2022 "The Finnon Smoker" by Bellany sold for £80,000 (hammer) and in the same sale, "Bass Rock Fable" (a 76 x 61cm unframed oil) sold for £12,000 (hammer). In our 21st August 2022 auction, lot 137 "The Newspaper Hat" (a 61 x 51cm oil) sold for £9500 (hammer). "Like-for-like" auction prices for original paintings are usually difficult to assess, but in The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of April 2023, two Bellany paintings which had been acquired in our auctions in September and November 2014 were consigned for sale by the same owner. The original 2014 selling prices were £1800 and £4000 and the same paintings sold in April for £3800 and £7000 (all hammer prices). This equates to a growth in value of 86.2% in fewer than nine years. In The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 25th May 2023, lot 282, "Restless Wave" a 90 x 90cm oil (by Bellany) sold for £9000 (hammer) and in our auction of 9th November, lot 92, "Harbour" a 90 x 120cm oil by Bellany sold for £11000 (hammer). Most recently, "The Players" lot 50 in our auction of 28th March 2024 sold for £30000 (hammer).
* ETHEL WALKER (SCOTTISH b. 1941), THE JAPANESE VASE gouache on paper, signed, titled label versomounted, framed and under glassimage size 54cm x 48cm, overall size 78cm x 71cmNote: Ethel Walker was born in Ayrshire, Scotland, in 1941. She graduated from the Glasgow School of Art in 1964 where she had been taught by David Donaldson, once the Queen's portrait painter. Beginning her career as a teacher, by the age of twenty-seven she was a full-time artist. Walker is one of the most successful female painters working in Scotland today. Her talent in capturing the ever-changing light of the Scottish landscape is outstanding, and her subtle but strong still life paintings are highly-prized. Work is held in many public and corporate collections worldwide, including the Royal Bank of Scotland and Sara Lee Holdings. In The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 12th September 2021 "The Silver Table" (lot 562), a mixed media by Ethel Walker sold for £2600 (hammer) and in our December 2021 auction "The Lace Cloth" achieved £3000 (hammer).
* ALAN KING PAI (SCOTTISH 1946 - 2013), THE APPRENTICE oil and gold leaf on panel, signed, titled labels versoframed and under glass image size 10cm x 10cm, overall size 30cm x 30cm Handwritten artists label verso.Note: Alan was a frequent contributor and a great favourite in The Scottish Contemporary Art Auctions between 2008 and 2013.. McTear's has established a succession of UK auction record prices for Alan King's work in recent years and the current record is £3600 for Weavers of Truth, lot 275 27th November 2016. Although Alan was a much respected and successful artist during his lifetime, auction prices since 2013 have continued to rise, even though very few collectors have so far opted to sell their examples of his work. The red hat is an Alan King "trademark".
* JAMES ORR (SCOTTISH 1931 - 2019), MOTHER'S DAY oil on board, signed, titled and dated 1993 label verso framed and under glass image size 29cm x 34cm, overall size 43cm x 48cm Label verso: The Gatehouse Gallery, Glasgow. Note: James Orr was a regular and successful contributor to The Scottish Contemporary Art Auctions. A modest man when it came to his own achievements, his work is held in the collection of HRH The Late Duke of Edinburgh and in many private collections across the world. He won several awards for his work, including the RGI’s Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Glasgow Award. His paintings have given and continue to give great pleasure to many people. Renowned for his kindness and generosity, he also nurtured many budding artists and gave his time generously through artist demonstrations for many art clubs across Scotland.
* PETER GOODFELLOW (BRITISH 1950 - 2022), UNTITLED oil on canvas, signedframedimage size 152cm x 106cm, overall size 165cm x 120cm Notes: Peter Goodfellow's paintings rarely appear at auction and his UK auction record price was achieved in The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction 26th February 2017 when lot 15 BUACHAILLE ETIVE MOR sold for £2800 (hammer). A notable (2000/02) commission by the Hon Phillip Astor to design and paint a series of 24 artworks and three stained glass windows for a private chapel in Migvie, (Tillypronie Estate) Aberdeenshire. Public and corporate collections include: Victoria & Albert Museum, Saatchi & Saatchi, Whitbread, Penguin Books, Baxter’s Foods, William Collins & Sons, Scandutch (Denmark), IC, National Savings, British Telecom, Quantas Airlines, Scania Motors (Sweden), Grisewood & Dempsey Publishers, Bergsoe 3 (Denmark), Peter Justenson (Denmark), Cidel Bank (Luxembourg), Intergrated Engineering Services (Aberdeen), The BBC, Duncan & Todd (Aberdeen) and CBC (Copenhagen).
GRAHAM H D MCKEAN, OLD SCHOOL oil on canvas, signed, titled versoframedimage size 25cm x 25cm, overall size 43cm x 43cm Note: In 1996, after 17 years as a graphic designer, Graham McKean decided to commit himself totally to producing his oil paintings. Graham McKean’s paintings have featured in numerous exhibitions and are increasingly appearing at the U.K.’s leading auction houses. His work has now become highly collectible and is held in prestigious private and public collections worldwide. Graham also supports a number of charities through events and auctions. A review by the late W. Gordon Smith (Art Critic, The Scotsman), described the work of Graham McKean as a cross between the painters John Byrne and Stanley Spencer, but with an “interesting bite”. Graham McKean needs little introduction to our buyer audience having been consistently one of our most popular and best selling artists since the inaugural Scottish Contemporary Art Auction in November 2008.
* KEN CURRIE (SCOTTISH b. 1960), TWO LINOCUTS FOR 'WAR' 'WHERE BOOKS ARE BURNT, PEOPLE ARE BURNT IN THE END' and 'HOWL WITH THE WOLVES (AFTER DUCHAV)'two linocut prints on paper, both signed, titled and dated '83both mounted, framed and under glassimage size 31cm x 31cm each, overall size 48cm x 48cm each Qty: 2Note: Ken Currie is renowned for his unsettling portrayal of the human figure. The artist's rich, luminous paintings depict mysterious rites, rituals, and quasi-medical practices, offering a meditation on violence in its many guises. Currie studied at the Glasgow School of Art from 1978-1983 and rose to attention within a generation of painters known as the "New Glasgow Boys" in the 1980s. In 1987, Currie completed a powerful series of large scale History paintings for the People’s Palace in Glasgow, commemorating the massacre of the Calton Weavers. Through the 90's deeply affected by humanitarian events in Eastern Europe Currie's works evolved, his focus shifting to confront ideas of mortality and corruption, both physical and moral. Over the last 10 years Currie's work has addressed the horrors of the contemporary world, without shying away from their brutality or grotesque nature. In 2009 Currie was commissioned to paint the theoretical scientist Peter Higgs following his receipt of the Nobel Prize, the painting now hangs at The University of Edinburgh. Ken Currie has exhibited widely internationally, including a 2013 solo exhibition at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery which also commissioned his painting Three Oncologists. Currie's work is held in many major public collections including Tate, London; Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh; New York Public Library; Imperial War Museum, London; Campbelltown Arts Centre, New South Wales; Yale Center for British Art, New Haven; Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisbon; and the British Council, London.
JOHN JOHNSTONE SSA (SCOTTISH b. 1941), ARTIST ON THE MOVE oil on panel, signed, titled label versoframed image size 89cm x 81cm, overall size 108cm x 100cm Handwritten artist's label versoNote 1: a copy of the 72 page hardback book "John Johnstone" published in 2005 with a foreword by Edward Lucie-Smith is included in this lotNote 2: John Johnstone is one of Scotland’s leading artists working in a figurative style. He was born in Forfar in 1941. He studied at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art from 1959 to 1964 under David McClure and Alberto Morrocco. He later returned to teach life drawing classes to a new generation of artists who have gone on to forge their own successful careers. He is a regular exhibitor at the Royal Scottish Academy and the Scottish Society of Artists and is a professional member of the Scottish Society of Artists and Scottish Visual Arts. “My paintings seem to be expressing something, either serious or amusing about life. They depict people acting out minor dramas. Gesture, composition, characterisation and setting are important. There is an element of gravity in them, but the humorous side probably eclipses that aspect.” Art historian Edward Lucie-Smith wrote: “John Johnstone is a unique artist – in the special sense that he has no problem in being original. His only problem is keeping that originality within bounds.” John has works in public and private collections at home and aboard including HRH the Duke of Edinburgh, The Carnegie Trust Art Collection, Angus Council Collection, Dundee City Collection, The McManus Galleries Collection and Fife Council Museums West Collection. In The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 21st August 2022, lot 205, "Jiving at the Palais" by John Johnstone sold for £1200 (hammer).
* Folk Art. A wishbone penwipe doll, early-mid 19th century, modelled and painted as a negro woman, with white seed bead eyes, and wearing a green cape over a pink velvet dress, both with pinking shears edging embellished with polychrome seed beads, cream silk ribbon to neck a little frayed, contemporary paper label stitched to front annotated in sepia ink 'once I was a merry thought/growing on a hen/now I am a little slave/made to wipe a pen', length 9 cm QTY: (1)NOTE:A rare negro penwipe doll, judging by the condition never used for its intended purpose of soaking up ink. Long before repurposing became fashionable, it was a necessity, when household items and toys were much more difficult to come by, and in any case, only attainable by the well-off. In the 19th century, and before, it was common to give disposable objects such as bones, feathers, spools and nut shells a new life as functional or ornamental objects, for the home, or as gifts. As well as dolls, wishbones were also used to make dolls' furniture: see The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures for a spinster wishbone doll, and a set of furniture made of wishbones.Founder and director of The National Black Doll Museum, Debra Britt, says that the earliest black dolls to appear in America were wishbone dolls made on slave ships. Although the Slavery Act of 1807 had probably been passed by the time this doll was made, slaves in the colonies were not freed until 1838, and so the debate around slavery was probably still a hot topic when this doll was made; despite this, its creation would not have been controversial as it would be today.
* Lace. A collection of handmade lace, 19th-20th century, mostly white and cream, but also several pieces of black lace, various: Brussels, Honiton, Valenciennes, Maltese, Tenerife, Russian, Bucks, Rosaline, Bruges, Point de Gaze, Carrickmacross, Youghal, etc., including collars, lengths, stoles, lappets, aprons, baby bonnets, bonnet veils, berthas, cuffs, modesty panels, straw work, handkerchiefs, mats and doilies, e.g. a Mechlin lace bonnet and length (mid-later 19th century), a Youghal lace collar (circa 1880), a Honiton lace collar with tally ground, and a cream Honiton lace christening robe, together with a small quantity of machine-made lace, mostly in good condition, various sizes, plus: approximately 100 wooden lace making bobbins, mostly later 20th century, 37 with commemorative lettering and/or hand-painted decoration, including Charles and Diana's wedding, Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee, lace workshops, etc.; a copy of A History of Lace, by Mrs. Bury Palliser, 2nd edition, London: Sampson, Low, Son, and Marston, 1869, numerous plates and letterpress illustrations, contemporary gilt decorated maroon morocco, rebacked, preserving original spine, 8vo; 6 books by Elsie Luxton (2 in Dutch); and 3 framed and glazed prints depicting lace makingQTY: (a quantity)NOTE:Provenance: Collection of Mrs Elsie Luxton (1909-1997), and thence by descent.Full itemised list of lace available on request (approximately 70 items).Devonshire lace maker Elsie Luxton was one of the foremost exponants of the art of Honiton lace making. She taught lace making both in the UK and abroad, as well as demonstrating and exhibiting her own lace. A large Honiton lace veil which she made for her daughter's wedding was shown in several places, including the Women's Institute National Exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum in 1960, and exhibitions in Australia and Rennes in France. Elsie made several pieces of lace for members of the Royal Family, one of which was the Honiton Lace Madonna which was presented to Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh at the Maundy service at Exeter Cathedral in 1983. She wrote five books about lace, and in 1984 was awarded the MBE for her services to lace making.
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