Paisley artist is all at sea over top award
A distinguished Paisley artist has won a major prize.
Former president of Paisley Art Institute Michael Durning was handed the Walter Scott Award at the Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolour 137th Open Annual Exhibition at the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh.
The award was for his painting River Gods of the Damnonii.
“It is a reference to the ancient people who lived on Dumbarton Rock – the ancient capital of Strathclyde, and to the affection held for the Clyde paddle steamers,”he said.
“The PS Ryde Queen, older than the Waverley, was built at Denny shipbuilders in the shadow of the Rock.
“The ship was run aground and left to the elements. It can still be seen decaying on the Isle of Wight slowly disappearing from memory like the ancients.
“I am hugely honoured and grateful to receive the Walter Scott Award.
“The generous prize demonstrates how important the Scottish exhibiting societies are to Scottish art and artists.”
Mr Durning is currently the Archivist of Paisley Art Institute, and studied at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Gray’s School of Art.
This is his second RSW award. He received the Hospitalfield Residency Awards in 2002.
The Royal Scottish Academy exhibition is open until Thursday and features more than180 new paintings by both established and emerging artists from across Scotland including works by new graduates from the 2017 Degree Shows.