Alan Watson
Alan Watson, a Scottish artist and gifted story teller was descended from an East Neuk of Fife fishing and sea faring community. His art work inspired by the lives at sea of his fisher ancestors, the bird culture of St Kilda, the East Coast fishing, herring and whaling industries. He also loved to paint landscape, Mull of Kintyre, the Howe of Fife and Ireland, trees and gardens including Great Comp, near Sevenoaks.
A graduate of Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, Dundee, Watson's work is included in many public collections including the City Art Centre, Edinburgh; Fife Council; Glasgow Museums and Galleries; McManus Gallery and Museum, Dundee; The Scottish Fisheries Museum, Anstruther; The Scottish Maritime Museum, Irvine; The University's of Dundee, Stirling, Cambridge and Niagara. His work is included in many private collections in Europe, UK, USA, Russia and Chile. Watson created a series of drawings to illustrate George MacKay Brown's tale of the Maid of Norway 'The Sea Kings Daughter'.
Watson exhibited in both solo and group exhibitions with the 369 Gallery, Edinburgh, The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh, and The Crawford Centre, St Andrews. 369 Gallery toured his work throughout Scotland, from An Lanntair, Stornoway to the Barbican Arts Centre, London, Clare Hall, Cambridge and took his work to art fairs in the USA and China. Watson participated in the official art exchange and exhibitions in Moscow and Edinburgh, 1989 and 1991, along with Caroline McNairn and Fionna Carlisle.
Alan Watson's most recent major solo retrospective exhibition was of his 'Navigatio' series of drawings in 2017 at The Scottish Fisheries Museum, Anstruther. The earlier work from this series of paintings was first exhibited at Kirkcaldy Galleries. The largest works from this series were included in '369 Remembered' at Summerhall Arts Centre, Edinburgh in 2019.Watson's paintings are currently on display at Kirkcaldy Galleries, The Scottish Fisheries Museum Anstruther, The Scottish Maritime Museum, and Art UK.
Upcoming exhibition
University of Dundee
Tower Foyer Gallery
5th October to 20 December 2024:
We are looking forward to an exhibition of Alan's Fife landscapes.
For further information see:
https://www.dundee.ac.uk/events/festival-future-alan-watson-back-land
Recent Exhibition
'A Sense of Place' works by Alan Watson at Fife Folk Museum, Ceres
1st April to 29th October 2023.
This exhibition of Alan's work is a personal tribute to Alan acknowledging his close connections to this area of Fife but also a nod to Alan's wider interests and his respected professional career.
I am very pleased many people have enjoyed the show. Thankyou Fife Folk Museum team for all your support, my family, and friends. Couldn't have happened without all your effort and support.
Comments included:
"Amazing artwork. Really enjoyed seeing it" 4th May 2023
"Brilliant exhibition - not large but conveying a vivid impression of an interesting artist...." 2nd June 2023
"Amazing work from Alan Watson. A great artist!" 7th July 2023
"I was completely taken aback by the Alan Watson exhibition.... I feel so happy to have come across this exhibition and his work today." 15th October 2023