The artworks will be unveiled by The Scottish Parliament’s Presiding Officer on Tuesday 22 September in the Parliament’s Members’ Room which is visited by thousands of visitors every year.
The Scottish Parliament’s Presiding Officer, the Rt Hon Tricia Marwick said:
“It is my great honour to unveil this very generous gift, painted specially for the Scottish Parliament by one of Scotland’s most successful and best loved contemporary artists. Jolomo’s paintings vibrate with intense colour and perfectly express the changing effect of light and weather on our land.”
The Presiding officer continued:
“His appeal is immense, taking in everyone from international celebrities to Scots who recognise his vivid depiction of their local landscape. This gift means many more visitors to the Scottish Parliament can enjoy Jolomo’s work for years to come.”
John Lowrie Morrison commented:
“I am gifting these four paintings to The Scottish Parliament as a gift to the Scottish people for their great support of my work over the past 40 years. This gift was first proposed nearly 10 years ago, and it is a wonderful honour that it has been accepted, and that many visitors to the Parliament will be able to enjoy my work. I chose the paintings to express something of the fantastic colours of Scotland on both the West and East coasts.”
Background
Media, including TV cameras and press photographers are invited to attend Tuesday 22 September’s unveiling of the following works by John Lowrie Morrison OBE:
- Stormy Evening, Machrihanish Beach, Kintyre, 2015.
- Evening Low Tide, Tobermory, Isle of Mull, 2015.
- Moon over Arbroath Creels, 2015.
- The Ardríonra Hayfield – A Summer Morning, Iona, 2015.
The Presiding Officer, the Rt. Hon Tricia Marwick MSP will be joined by:
- John Lowrie Morrison OBE and family members
Media should gather in the Members’ Room at 10.15am on Tuesday 22 September.
Andrew Cowan the Parliament’s in-house photographer will cover for still and issue to picture desks.
Media who require a Day Pass to access the event should contact Parminder Kaur no later than 0945hrs Tuesday 22 September and bring formal I.D.
Parminder Kaur: 0131 348 6852
[email protected]
John Lowrie Morrison OBE
Born 1948 in Maryhill, Glasgow John Lowrie Morrison OBE – known as Jolomo – has been a painter for over 50 years of Argyll and The Hebrides, lighthouses, coastscapes, croftscapes, the people and the light of the Scottish west coast.
Morrison studied at Glasgow School of Art from 1967 to 1971, winning the W.O. Hutchison Drawing Prize in his final year and the Royal Academy Schools London Travelling Scholarship for landscape painting. He completed post graduate studies in Fine Art at GSA 1972-3 and a Diploma in Education at Jordanhill. This was the start of a long career as a teacher in Argyll and later an art adviser for North Strathclyde. In 1997 he made the decision to try and earn a living from painting full-time in Argyll and the Hebrides.
Morrison has contributed to stimulating the development of landscape painting in Scotland through founding the Jolomo Awards for landscape painting, which ran in 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2013, in partnership with the Bank of Scotland. John has been awarded honorary doctorates from the University of the West of Scotland and the University of Aberay Dundee, for his ‘significant contribution to Scottish Culture’ and in 2011 was made OBE for services to art and charity in Scotland.
In addition to painting full-time, the artist studied theology and was appointed a Reader in the Church of Scotland. In November 2012, John and his wife Maureen were invited by HRH The Princess Royal to become Vice Presidents of Carers Trust. He lives and works in Tayvallich and Mull.
The Scottish Parliament’s Art Collection
The Scottish Parliament’s Art Collection is influenced by and reflects our relationship with the environment, in particular the impact of humanity and politics on the landscape, our relationship with the sea, and our identity and history as people living in Scotland. For more information:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/visitandlearn/15456.aspx
For more information on the Scottish Parliament’s art tours:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/visitandlearn/15463.aspx