Creative Scotland Awards

The Scottish Arts Council Creative Scotland Awards are amongst the richest arts awards in Europe. They reward, honour and celebrate established and leading artists in Scotland and raise the profile of the arts and their contribution to Scotland.

To learn more about these artists and to discover the range and diversity of these amazing lottery-funded projects, visit the Creative Scotland website at http://www.creativescotland.org.uk/


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Clouds, Mighty Without Movement

Renowned Italian artist Alberto Bertoldi’s original oil paintings are fascinating and beautiful since his subject, the sky and the clouds, is equally fascinating and beautiful. Alberto explains, “I was flying on a plane, and as it broke through the clouds, I experienced a most incredible moment. While I was looking out of the window, the plane seemed to hang between the sea and infinity, between sky and earth. With extreme emotion I watched what humans three thousand years ago could only imagine.”

He adds, “When I reached my destination, I dared to watch the horizon again, now from the tiny beach of St Vincente, and I realised for the first time the clouds, mighty, without movement or speed, act like curtains. I witnessed how this curtain of clouds hid the endless universe and its sound.”

Alberto Bertoldi was born in Torino in 1955, and now lives and works in Piacenza, northern Italy. He has prepared over 30 personal exhibitions across his homeland together with having beautifully illustrated books published about himself and his work. Now for the first time, he has been introduced to the UK through Artery Gallery, based in both St Andrews and Crieff.

Alberto started painting from an early age and besides a brief spell at the Academy of Arts in Brera, is largely considered a self taught artist. He held his first exhibition at the age of 18 though shortly after suspended his painting for a long period of time. Upon reaching his early 30’s, Alberto returned to his work, in complete solitude, with intense work and studying various subjects. Now, differently to his earlier subjects, he looked towards the ancient artists of Northern Europe that were closer to his propensity for landscape painting and, in general, for the aesthetic of sublime.

Alberto's cloud paintings have proved very popular with many pilots becoming collectors of his work. One pilot from RAF Leuchars in Fife recently purchased a painting by Alberto, and stated "It's like looking out of my office window!”

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Lora Leedham - At The "Venetian Heart" of British Fashion

Lora Leedham’s silver, Venetian glass and gemstone jewellery is capturing the British fashion world!

Lora Leedham is an independent jewellery designer from the Midlands. She had initially intended to be an interior designer, but found her passion for jewellery design while studying design at university.

After setting up ‘Jewellery by Lora Leedham’ in 2006 she has made an impact on the British fashion world, exhibiting in London Fashion week, designing jewellery for stars, celebrities and even royalty – she created jewellery for Camilla Parker Bowles, which Camilla wore on live television. She has worked with different fashion designers, in international fashion houses, created jewellery for charity auctions and was featured in a March issue of ‘Grazia’ magazine.

Her current jewellery designs feature Venetian glass hearts in rainbow colours, captured in handmade silver wire cages. She also creates gemstone studded ‘willow’ rings, using only ethically sourced gems such as tourmaline.

Artery Gallery has a selection of jewellery from different ranges in her collection.

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The Surreal Deal - Andrew Baines

New works by Andrew Baines are now on exhibition at Artery Gallery in St Andrews.

Andrew has exhibited extensively in Switzerland, the US and Canada as well as around Australia and has proved equally collectable in Scotland, since being introduced by Artery Gallery three years ago

One time illustrator and sign-writer, Andrew Baines has risen in recent years to become one of Australia’s top contemporary artists. In the last four years alone, he has been a finalist in no less than twelve competitions, two of which have been for the Australian National Portrait award.

It has been as a figurative painter that his reputation has been established. With a strong resemblance to the work of Belgian surrealist Rene Magritte, the majority of Andrew’s work depict suited businessmen, not necessarily floating in the sky, but lined up along the shallows of a golden beach, reminiscent of the beaches near to his hometown of Grange, South Australia.

With other huge influences being Andy Warhol, David Hockney and Prohart, the inspiration behind Andrew’s paintings are more direct and pivotal to his own experiences and personal decision to become a painter.

"When I was 14, my parents took me back to England to visit the relatives," says Baines, who had emigrated from Colchester when he was just one year old. "One morning we caught the Underground. I went down onto the platform and I was greeted by a sea of formally dressed, bowler-hatted men, holding their umbrellas and briefcases. It just looked so incredible, because they were all clones and they all looked lifeless ... waiting for their train to come in. That stayed in my subconscious for years and years."

When Baines got his first job at 17 at a department store, these images resurfaced. He adds, "I'd be on the bus with all these commuters and think to myself that this is exactly the same as the bowler-hat men – but much more Australian, more casual. I used to think their lives were already spelled out for them. I thought to myself, 'I don't want to be like this'."

His early surrealism was largely ignored. Since he lived by the beach and had always done so, it was suggested to him that he began interpreting the environment closest to him.

He says he had avoided painting the beach because he wanted to be different. The beach was too obvious. But the beach was a hit with the art market and Baines' exhibitions were sell-outs.

With his paintings taking of commercially, Andrew mixed this style with his original vision. Now his beach shallows and rolling hills are populated by circus performers, herds of cows and wooden chairs! "They've still got that nice aesthetic mood but then you've got my underlying, self-conscious feelings on life coming through," he says. A post-modern landscape.

Surrealism has dwelt in his mind's eye throughout his painting years and it is a genre to which he returns, rather than begins. With this amount of success as an artist, Andrew Baines has become the real deal.

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Renowned Sculptor Exhibits in St Andrews

Heralded by many in the art world as the next Henry Moore, Alexandros Arabatzoglou’s sculptures have been sold to private collectors all over the world, and demand for his work has been such that he has not exhibited in a gallery for nearly nine years, despite offers from some of the worlds most prestigious galleries. However, after striking up a relationship with Artery Gallery, Alexandros decided to end his gallery exile by exhibiting one of his hand carved sculptures in their St Andrews branch.

Born in Heraklion, Crete in 1970, Alexandros came from an artistic family and has therefore been involved in art since a very early age, beginning with designing and creating his own unique jewellery. It was during this period that he was chosen as “Finest Modern Greek Artist” by the BBC. Later he discovered his passion for harder materials, and started to work with bronze and different kinds of stone, clay and glass. After many years of work and experimentation forging these materials together, Alexandros invented his own style of modern sculpture – a unique ability to craft bronze and stone into a single organic form. Every piece is a one-off and can take up to four months to create. There are no moulds or copies and each comes with individual certification from the Greek government.

"The Golden Fish” sculpture was commissioned especially for Artery Gallery to be displayed at their St Andrews branch and is seen as a coup for the Scottish gallery. Jason of Artery explains “After meeting with Alexandros in Crete last year, I was amazed at his drive, passion and enthusiasm for his work and his art. For him, creating his sculpture is like breaking down to the bare bones of his inner soul, using his hands to carve into the stone and creating an extension of himself within each individual sculpture”. He adds “Here at Artery Gallery, we are always looking to expand on the superb catalogue of talent we exhibit, and inviting Alexandros to join us, knowing of the interest he has gained, is exciting for the gallery, for St Andrews, and for world art exhibited in Scotland”.

Artery Gallery at 43 South Street, St Andrews (01334 478221)

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National Galleries of Scotland Art Competition for Schools 2008

The annual National Galleries of Scotland Art Competition for Schools 2008 is now open for entries. Please send your entries to Linda McClelland, National Gallery of Scotland, The Mound, Edinburgh, EH2 2EL.

This year there are six categories for entry, each with a different theme:

Category A Nursery Schools (Theme – Birds)
Category B Primary 1-3 (Theme – Can you see the music?)
Category C Primary 4-7 (Theme – Sit in Splendour)
Category D S1 and S2 (Theme – Art to Wear)
Category E Special Education Schools (Theme – Come Closer)
Category F Group Work (Theme – selected from any of the above)

Pupils are asked to view selected works from the Online Collection of the National Galleries of Scotland and to make their own personal response on paper. The closing date is Friday 9th May 2008.

An awards ceremony will be held at the National Gallery of Scotland in June 2008. Prizes include digital cameras for schools, art materials, art workshops and gallery visits.

If you have any questions regarding this year's competition telephone 0131 624 6534 or email competition@nationalgalleries.org

Spring Exhibition at Artery Gallery

January and February are often grey and miserable but thankfully we are now into March, and Spring will soon be on the way.

Here at Artery Gallery we thought we would celebrate by bringing in some Springtime Colour!

We are proud to introduce two new artists whose work is awash with colour, character and sheer vibrancy.

Lancashire born, self-taught water-colourist Kelvin Burgoyne and former restoration architect John Wetten-Brown from Glasgow.

Recent art graduate John Wetten-Brown has gone from restoring Scotland's Historic monuments, to painting some of Scotland's most interesting treasures. His subjects range from historic fishing villages like Crail and Pittenweem, to the landscapes of Skye, Mull and Sutherland with great sweeps of mountain, moorland and sky.

For many years Kelvin Burgoyne searched for the balance between English landscape and Mediterranean colour, an almost impossible arrangement. However, whilst drawing over moorland in August 1999 on a fabulously hot summer day, he experienced what most outdoor activists encounter. A sudden blackness, stillness and a chill brought on by a heavy summer storm. At its deepest, inexplicably, he saw the countryside bathed in vivid colour and the buildings almost white, mentally capturing the moment he has continued with this vision and works exclusively in the search for watercolour splendour.

Scotlands Bold Landscape

Scottish artist Martin Devine has launched his latest exhibition of work at Artery Gallery in both St Andrews and Crieff.

Martin, of Linlithgow, Employs colour theory, varying the use of tone and differing brush strokes to present a contemporary image of the Scottish landscape, aiming to change the perception of the landscape seen by the viewer.

Martin explains, “I originally discovered an artistic ability in portraiture and wildlife, moving onto landscapes which have now become my recognized field in a distinctive style”.

Inspired by minimalism, spare with detail, encouraging a regard for simplicity, the strengths of his watercolour paintings lie in the boldness of the colours he uses, perfectly outlined with Indian ink.

His paintings have proved a huge success in his short time with Artery Gallery, selling out his previous two exhibitions.

The work of Martin Devine can be viewed online at www.arteryuk.com or by visiting Artery Gallery in St Andrews and Crieff

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Mythical Sculpture! - "The Golden Fish" by Alexandros Arabatzoglou

In some cultures a fish can be a potent sign of fertility, signifying abundance, movement and creativity. For example, in Roman mythology a fish can be a symbol of love – fetching Venus to mind – or the power of the waters, mighty Neptune. Fish in baskets – as in meals of plenty, bread and wine, the foods of redemption – and fish in association with an axe as in Assyria and Crete, or perhaps with moon shapes in many of the fishing cultures, all represent blessings and confer magic fertility on the catch or upon the whole community.

In China. Great Mother Kwan-yin was often portrayed as a fish. In India the Goddess Kali was called ‘the fish eyed one’, and in ancient Egypt, Isis was called Great Fish of the Abyss. In Greece. the Greek word ‘delphos’ meant both fish and womb. The word is derived from the oracle at Delphi, who worshipped the original fish goddess Themis.

Alexandros Arabatzoglou at Artery Gallery

"Alexandros, is giving everything to get into his sculpture, the same amount of hummanity and seriousness, nobility and experience, acceptance of life, distinction and aristocracy.With absolutely no tricks, no effection, no self conciousness, looking straight ahead, no movemant...but more alive than a real person."

Alexandros Arabazoglou was born in Heraclion, Crete in 1970. He comes from an art family, and from when he was a child, he got involved in the art of jewellery. He was designing and creating unique pieces and he was selected as a fine artist from the BBC channel. Soon he discovered his passion for harder materials, and he started to work with Bronze and different kinds of stones, clay and glass. After many years of work, he had managed to match these materials together, and create his own style in modern art. All his pieces are unique (editions of one). He has taken part in many exibitions all around the world, and many of his sculptures are in private collections.

Visit the Artery Gallery website at :www.arteryuk.com

Christmas Shopping - Unique Art Gift Ideas - Secure Website

Visit www.arteryuk.com

Artery Gallery is a leader amongst Scottish contemporary art galleries, and have gathered the best of Scottish and International talent.

With galleries in both St Andrews and Crieff, as well as an extensive and secure website, buying original art has never been more accessible and affordable.


Paintings by popular abstract artists such as Derek Collins with his 'Flaming Art' and Peter Davenport,

Bold, colourful landscapes by Martin Devine

Seascapes by Colin Carruthers, the consistently selling artist exclusive to Artery Gallery.

Leading Australian contemporary artist Andrew Baines

Crete sculptor Manolis Patramanis

Sculptor and painter James Adams from the Isle of Skye

Scottish figurative sculptor Ronna Elliott


as well as many unique art gifts from John McPhail, Tim Fowler, Allan Craig, Rob Mulholland

and handmade silver jewellery by Patricia Segrillo, Christine Forsyth, Yanina, and much much more...


Email; mail@arteryuk.com for more details

or visit online at www.arteryuk.com

Shop for your unique Christmas art gifts with confidence

The Hooded Monks

These are new hand crafted, ceramic 'Hooded Monks' by highly respected Cretian sculptor Manolis Patramanis. The monk figures represent how people in everyday challenging roles are putting themselves forward to serve the world by devoting their energies into helping those in need, often going unnoticed and unpublicised,

The work undertaken by these unknown ‘Hooded’ Samaritans is ever more highlighted over the increased Christmas period, yet their endeavour continues throughout the year. A hooded monk on the mantelpiece can act as a nice little reminder.

Most of the sculptures by Manolis Patramanis are developed from his thoughts on life, and his work is exclusively available in the UK through Artery Gallery at 43 South Street, St Andrews (01334 478221) and 22 King Street, Crieff (01764 655722), priced from £75

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Scottish Art on Fire

Artery Gallery is a leader amongst Scottish art galleries and has become known for not only its diverse collection of contemporary art, but also for its broad range of national and international artists with their own unique backgrounds.

One particular Scottish artist who fits this mold and is on constant exhibition at Artery Gallery with his 'Flaming Art', is professional artist from Airdrie, Derek Collins. Derek creates stunning works of abstract art by pouring carefully selected special resins, powders, pigments and liquids on to canvas. His creations really come to life when the main ingredient is added, fire!

Derek’s art is an extension of the specialist paint effects he has been applying for many years. He says, “I love the way other paints and lacquers affect one another, if one paint is not compatible the other paint does not want to touch it so it moves away or breaks the weaker paint and forms another effect. When you then add the thinners of different paints, another reaction takes place, too much thinner will make it flow out but set it alight and it will evaporate the thinners and seal off the paints.”

As well as these paints and lacquers, Derek has used all kinds of extra materials in his art, from sand and shards of glass to leaves and moss. Customers can even provide specific stones, gems and personal photographs that can be incorporated into the artwork. A couple of years ago he was approached by a woman who had come across his flaming art, and asked him to incorporate her mother’s ashes into a painting. Being an incredibly sensitive matter, it’s something Derek took on with great pride and care. He says “Quite often people are left with loved ones ashes and are not quite sure what to do with them. Using the ashes in a painting is a great way to commemorate a life, and creates something close and personal that can be kept in the home and more importantly in the family for years and years to come.” Derek has since been asked many times to create these special artworks incorporating the ashes of loved ones.

Even in his early years as a decorator, Dereks forte was the use of colour, but he has always had the passion to experiment and create. What he is achieving now with his art has just been a natural progression, all steming from many years ago when he was experimenting with decorative paint effects on his stone floors. Now he has all the freedom of expression he desires to create, on canvas, these fine works of contemporary abstract art.

Artery Gallery has been a major supporter of contemporary Scottish artists over the years and continues to boost artist profiles, such as that of Derek Collins. Derek says “I have made giant leaps forward in recent years and my art is very much recognised and highly sought after across Scotland and the UK, with Artery Gallery in St Andrews being the most prolific in selling my work”.

He has also helped raise money in an art auction for the Prince of Wales Hospice by donating, what proved to be, an extremely popular painting of Scottish comedian Billy Connolly emerging naked from the Clyde!

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Artery Gallery in St Andrews

Artery Gallery opened in St Andrews in May of 2006 and made an immediate impact with its locals and visitors to the town. Based at 43 South Street, it is in an ideal location situated opposite the Byre Theatre and just a few yards up from the famous Jannetta’s Ice Cream shop and with the cathedral ruins in the same corner of St Andrews, people are drawn all the way through to Artery Gallery’s part of town.

St Andrews is well known for attracting many overseas visitors for its history, education and golf, and Artery Gallery has had visitors of it's own from across the world including Japan, France, Italy, New Zealand, Alaska, Canada and the USA, all purchasing original artwork or leaving positive comments in the visitor guestbook.

Artery Gallery has also been a major supporter of new artists over the past few years from the gallery in King Street, Crieff and through their award winning website, and continues to boost artist profiles by now introducing them to St Andrews where its UK and overseas visitors can see some of the best emerging contemporary artwork first hand.

Bing Wang and his superbly detailed still life oil paintings have also become well collected by Artery Gallery’s local and national buyers, Sangster’s Restaurant of Fife being the most notable.

Since opening, Artery Gallery has exhibited many Scottish artists including painters James Adams, Angela Lawrence, Jackie Gardiner, Marie Hart, Martin Devine and Graham McKean and sculptors Ronna Elliott and Mark Smith. Other artists exhibiting have been from Australia, Canada and across Europe with the latest being renowned Italian artist Alberto Bertoldi with his amazing oil paintings of clouds. Alberto has arranged over 30 solo exhibitions across his homeland and is now showing his work for the first time outside Italy through Artery Gallery.

Jewellery has also shown great popularity all year round with Artery exhibiting works from 10 different jewellers, stretching from the USA and Brazil, to Israel and Eastern Europe, as well as those from a little closer to home! All very different and unique in techniques, materials and style.

St Andrews now has a gallery that defines modern art to compliment it’s lavish historical buildings, chapels and universities.

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"Ladies Who Lunch"

Ladies who do lunch will often find themselves sitting outside a small bistro somewhere in the sun, with their glass of Rose or a Mojhito. Their little pleasures in life helping them escape the routine of home, work and family and a chance to catch up on gossip; complain about their men and talk about clothes and their homes.

At Artery Gallery in St Andrews and Crieff, figurative sculptor Ronna Elliott is exhibiting her beautifully crafted female figures with her own take on ladies of leisure. The titles say it all, with ‘Ladies in Waiting’, ‘Pandora’s Box’, ‘Retail Therapy’ and of course, those ‘Ladies Who Lunch’. Each figure is embellished with their own marks and patterns which are not only decorative but also symbolise metaphorical fingerprints of people who have touched us in some way, often unknowingly.

Ronna graduated from Edinburgh College of Art in 2000 and shortly after set up her own studio in Hamilton. She has sold out on numerous occasions whilst exhibiting through Artery Gallery.

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3 Years and 4 Stars

In 2004, Artery Gallery opened its doors at 22 King Street, Crieff for the first time, bringing with it modern contemporary art from local artists as well as from around the world. The aim behind Artery was to make this art accessible and affordable to everyone. This month, Artery Gallery celebrate their 3^rd birthday and at the same time, celebrate retaining their 4 Star Arts Venue title with VisitScotland.

During the 3 years of successful trading in Crieff, Artery Gallery has also expanded into one of Scotland’s prime cities, St Andrews.

The number of artists exhibiting through Artery Gallery has also grown in this time, with popular Scottish artists consistently featuring, such as that of Derek Collins, Graham McKean and Peter Davenport.

In recent months the gallery has also secured unique exhibiting rights on artists Colin Carruthers and Tim Fowler. The Director of Artery Gallery says “We feel this is a bit of a coup for us, being a Scottish contemporary art gallery and securing unique selling rights to the works of successful artists. We always like to work with our artists and try to help them progress, giving them essential feedback we receive from our customers and keeping them up to date with the progress of their work”.

For a historic Scottish town such as that of Crieff, it is important for local businesses to progress and offer an experience that is just that little bit different and build on the good things that Crieff has to offer. Artery Gallery would like to thank all of their customers and visitors alike for their continued support over the past 3 successful years.