One of Scotland’s leading contemporary artists has opened an exhibition in the West End of Glasgow.
Ron Lawson is one of the most successful Scottish painters working today and his work, centred around the Hebrides, has won him a global fanbase with sales as far afield as the USA, Australia and Singapore.
His latest exclusive show ‘Into Spring’ has being hosted at the Annan Gallery on Woodlands Road (April 1 - 23).
The Perthshire-based artist said his newest collection was full of brighter and lighter tones, and a conscious move to lift his spirits and the mood of people who view his art.
'Different flavour'
Ron spends weeks at a time travelling around the Outer Hebrides to capture the look of the islands he has loved all his life – and for his most recent visit to the islands last November, he found himself changing his palette due to the time of year.
Ron said: “What we try to do for each exhibition is to have a slightly different flavour. It was coming into the wintertime when it was dark, cold and miserable, and I found myself painting with lighter and softer tones.
“To cheer myself up more than anything, I started mixing up the paint and came up with these soft muted tones and then you have to bring everything down to match, and that’s what inspired me to make the whole collection softer. It’s a subtle change but I think it worked a treat.
“When I was painting for the show, I realised it was all very spring-like.
“I definitely focused on bringing that lighter feel to my work and it cheered me up during the winter months.”
Ron has been painting for over 40 years but went full time in 2010 by leaving his former job in the art and design team at publishers DC Thomson.
What we try to do for each exhibition is to have a slightly different flavour. It was coming into the wintertime when it was dark, cold and miserable, and I found myself painting with lighter and softer tones.
Ron Lawson
He has since sold out nearly every exhibition he has ever staged, with a client base now eagerly awaiting his new shows at the Annan Gallery in Glasgow and the Strathearn Gallery in Crieff.
Ron has hailed his successful relationship with the Annan Gallery and Strathearn Gallery team, both owned and managed by husband and wife, Scott and Susan Bennett.
Ron said: “I’ve been really lucky that after I left working full time, every show since 2011 has been a tremendous success but as each one approaches you never take anything for granted and I just hope the body of work I have produced gets a good reaction.
“I’ve decided to only have a Spring exhibition at the Annan Gallery and an Autumn exhibition at the Strathearn Gallery. The shows are a great way of stretching myself - I always look to try something a little new.
Scott Bennett said: “In terms of Scottish contemporary art, Ron Lawson has been one of the most sought-after artists of the last decade.
“Ron has a huge following which extends beyond Scotland and it’s driven by his instantly recognisable style. People know his work. It’s clean, it’s contemporary, it’s sharp and precise and Ron is painting in a style and working with watercolour in such a unique way which is why he has built up such a large and deserved following.”
“Both our galleries work with and show the very best Scottish contemporary artists and the fact that we are the only galleries Ron wants to exhibit in is a huge privilege for us. We have a great working relationship with Ron and are delighted to be able to showcase his work”
