Artist Blair Thomson

The Ocean Way

Blair Thomson

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Media Oil
Type Abstract
Price £4825.00 / $6091.94
Size 125 x 168 cm
Ref 6921

Thomson is a full-time artist inspired by Scotland and Japan, his city-centre Glasgow studio has been a base for working further afield. Exhibiting since age 18 and graduating from GSA in 2002, his practice has widened from landscape/figurative to abstraction, photography and installation encompassing a poetic approach and interests from Scotland beyond.

He has exhibited as well as curated mixed and solo shows in the UK and abroad, artwork has been collected worldwide privately and in business collections such as McKinsey & Co. and Scottish Widows.

He has tutored various workshops at his studio, where his aim is to inspire and widen student's creativity. Regular visits to Japan began in 2002, when he began studying Sho with calligrapher Shujo Wakabayashi, then in his eighties.

Thomson exhibited with him and other Asian artists in 09 and the next year represented the UK at the ART/X/TOYAMA International Exhibition. He had been on the committee of the Royal Glasgow Institute arts organisation and is a meditator, trustee and sometimes Tenzo at Glasgow Zen Group.

Please check his 'Sketchbook Notes' blog for interests, inspiration and recent info and projects.Born Scotland 1980Spacious fields of colour and spontaneous, graceful brushstrokes create an irresistible Zen-like calm.

His inspirations come from his interest in all things Japanese, but the main source of his abstract imagery is Scottish landscape…bridges, crumbling piers and disintegrating shipwrecks.

Article by Lucy Sweet, Homes and Interiors Scotland February 2004.

STUDY: Glasgow School of Art Painting Department 1998-‘02, BA(hons) Fine Art

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS:

2008 Glasgow Art Fair, representing Scotlandart.com and John Green Fine Art

Sophie Montgomery Art, London (featured artist)

‘New Faces to Glasgow Art Club’, mixed exhibition

‘Offshore’, Scotlandart.com, two-man sho

2007 Royal Scottish Academy Annual Exhibition, 'Highland'New York Affordable Art Fair with Flying Colours Gallery, LondonRGI Annual Exhibition, prizes for 'Rhythms Kilcreggan'

Winter Exhibition, House for an Art Lover, Glasgow

2006 Scotlandart.com, ‘Abstract Exhibition’

Sophie Montgomery Art London, wall of six works

Glasgow Art Fair, representing John Green Fine Ar

Third Step Gallery solo show ‘In Time with the Wind

2005 London Affordable Art Fair with Baillie Gallery, London, Scotlandart

‘Selected Scottish Graduates Past & Present’, Scotlandart Edinburgh

3 man show at Baillie Gallery, London

RGI annual exhibition 2004 London Affordable Art Fair, representing Scotlandart.com

Glasgow Art Fair, with Scotlandart.com, John Green Fine Art ,GSA

‘Scottish Art Today’, Lloyds TSB, Edinburgh

One of six selected for Royal Concert Hall Glasgow ‘Internationalism’

2003 London Art Fair

Glasgow Art Fair, representing Scotlandart.com, Stenton Gallery ,GSA

Solo show at the Stenton Gallery, East Lothian

2002 Glasgow School of Art ‘Degree Show’, Main Gallery, Mackintosh ‘Terra Nova’ Degree Show Selection. Main Gallery/Museum, Mackintosh

Solo exhibition at the Kelly Gallery, Glasgow (RGI Exhibitionship)

2001 Solo Exhibition at ‘Gallery Cossachok’, King Street, Glasgow. Royal Glasgow Institute Exhibition, McLellan Galleries, Glasgow.

AWARDS AND PRIZES:

2007 - RGI Langside College Watercolour Award

2007 – RGI Glasgow Art Club Fellowship Award

2004 - Awarded RSW Residency at Hospitalfield House, Arbroath

2002 - Awarded Esmee Fairbairn Residency, Cove Park, Scotland

2001 - RGI Scholarship, RGI Exhibitionship

PUBLICATION AND MEDIA

June ‘02 – The Scotsman: Views of a New Worl

July ‘02 – Business am: Best in sho

September ‘03 – Sunday Times: How to canvas artistic success

March ‘03 – Scotland on Sunday: Best of Time

January/February ‘04 – Homes & Interiors Scotland: Artist for hir

October ‘04 – The Scotsman: The top 20 of Scottish art

November ‘04 – BBC Newsnight Scotland

March/April ‘05 – Homes & Interiors Scotland: Ode to a Manse

October ‘06 – The Herald: The Diary

October ‘07 – Scotsman Review, Duncan Macmillan

February ‘08 – Scotland on Sunday: Hidden Treasure

May ‘08 – Herald Review, New Faces to the Art Club, Jan Patience

PAINTINGS IN PRIVATE COLLECTIONS:

United Kingdom, United States, France, Holland, Japan