‘Sketchbook Drawings’ by John Brown

Monday 15th July – Saturday 12th October 2019

Open Monday - Friday, 9am - 4.30pm

Private View: Friday 19th July 2019, 5pm – 8pm

"What a masterclass in mark-making!" - exhibition visitor

About the Exhibition:

After five years at Glasgow School of Art (GSA), travelling scholarships gave me an appetite for seeking inspiration abroad. Since then I have travelled to many different countries with the sole purpose of gathering images for my paintings.

Drawing in a sketchbook suits me better than taking a photograph, as it begins the process of selection and reaffirms the reason for stopping to look in the first place. Local folk are, in my experience, more accepting of an artist with a sketchbook than a tourist with a camera.

Over the years my sketchbooks have varied in size but have nearly always remained square in format. However, occasionally drawings demand more space, requiring additional paper. I nearly always use graphite pencils and then often reducing them to a stub à la Bonnard. Mark-making is essential to the response to a subject, its colour and texture – it’s a kind of shorthand which translates to painting back in the studio.

About the Artist:

Born in Ayrshire, Scotland (1945).

John Brown studied Drawing and Painting at Glasgow School of Art from 1963 to 1968. After graduating, he was awarded major travel scholarships including the Royal Scottish Academy Carnegie Travel Scholarship and the Glasgow School of Art Cargill Travel Scholarship.

During his career John has worked extensively as an artist and educator, holding positions as Director of Art and Head of Art at Fettes College, Malvern College and Edinburgh Academy. In addition, for several years John was a Board member and Visiting Lecturer at Leith School of Art.

In 1996, John became an elected member of the RSW. Having exhibited in over thirty solo exhibitions to date, John’s work is celebrated internationally and can be found in public and private collections worldwide.