Over 300 paintings by some of the top artists working in water-based media in Scotland today are brought together in the RSW’s first major exhibition of 2025. The display includes over 200 paintings by RSW members and a further 100 by non-members selected from open submission. The free exhibition shares the building where watercolours by J M W Turner – a past master of the medium – are also showing. The exhibition reveals many different approaches to water-based media, with artists pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved with it. While many people think of watercolours as being small, water-based works also appear in a large format in beautiful, intense colours.
Complementing the exhibition is Prize Winners’ programme, the winners of which were announced 21st Jan:
The W Gordon Smith and Mrs Jay Gordonsmith Award – £4000: Fiona Strickland, Bramble;
Alexander Graham Munro Travel Award – £3000 (to an artist under 30 years old): Gabriela Wysocka, Veiltail;
Dawson Murray Award – £1000: Flora Lu Oysters in the Market;
RSW Council Award – £500: Jenny Martin Last Flowers of Autumn;
Scottish Artists Benevolent Association – £500: Rhona Kirkpatrick, Incoming Storm;
Sir William Gillies Award – £250: Duncan Lamont, The Demise of CN.207;
Turcan Connell Award – £250: Gwendolyn Fleming, Wheatfield;
May Marshall Brown Award – £250: Rosina Gavin, Past Place;
Fidra Fine Art Award – £250: Shona Barr, Foaming Sea;
John Gray Award – £200: Gemma Petrie, Hold the Gathering Storm;
RSW Watermark Awards – £50 each: Donald Manson, Crab Apples with September Smoke, Morag Thomson Merriman, Recalibrating, Plants & Pots series;
The Scottish Arts Club Award – solo exhibition and a year’s membership: Peter Quinn RSW.
And as part of its supporting programme, on 21st Jan award-winning painter Aine Divine created a portrait of artist and arts supremo Richard Demarco in front of a live audience. Aine has been a finalist on Sky Arts’ Portrait Artist of the Year, and described the opportunity to paint the 94-year-old as ‘a rare pleasure – I knew Richard was the person I wanted to paint, he speaks so inspiringly about the arts. He has such a passion for it, and it has never left him, in fact he’s more passionate than ever.’
Originally from County Cork in Ireland, she has lived in the Edinburgh area for 18 years, now based in Roslin, Midlothian. She has also featured on BBC 1’s Star Portraits, and for Portrait Artist of the Year she painted Neil Hannon of Irish band The Divine Comedy, evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins and actor Ian McKellen. Her portrait of Labour politician Mo Mowlam, painted just before she died, was purchased recently by the National Gallery of Ireland in Dublin.
Richard Demarco CBE was one of the founders of the Traverse Theatre in 1963, and ran the Richard Demarco Gallery in Edinburgh 1966-1992, bringing important international contemporary artists to Scotland. His achievements have been recognised across Europe and he has been the recipient of major arts awards in Poland, Germany and Italy. RSW President Anthea Gage commented that ‘Richard is an ideal subject for a portrait. I’ve known him since I was about 12, and went to all his galleries with my dad (the art critic) Edward Gage. He is a great advocate for art and artists, and it’s special to be able to stage an event like this where both parties are RSW members.’
