About Tom

 Tom Allan MA ARBS SSA PAI

Trained at Glasgow School of Art and in Italy, sculpting full-time since 1999, 

I work in stone, marble and bronze, have exhibited throughout Britain, and participated in sculpture symposia in Serbia, Canada, Hungary, Mexico, and the USA, as well as organising four in Scotland, with sculptors from home and overseas.

Commissions include sculpture for Plane Castle, (2003-5), life-size statues in Carrara marble of St Peregrine (2005) and Pope John Paul II (2006), the Lord Kelvin Memorial, Glasgow Necropolis (2007), Holocaust Memorial, Serbia (2008), and Harmony, USA (2018).

I have exhibited in outdoor sculpture exhibitions in Colintraive, Taynish, Pittenweem, Castle Douglas, Ripon, Leicester, Romsey, Chichester, Dartmoor, Buckfast Abbey, and the Cotswolds.

Solo shows include four at the RGI Kelly Gallery in Glasgow, 20 years at Pittenweem Arts Festival, the Camden Gallery, London, and in Stratford on Avon. A frequent prize winner at the RGI, PAI, RSA and VAS, 

I was elected an Associate of the Royal British Society of Sculptors in 2006. A member of Glasgow Sculpture Studios, I work at my studio on the Mount Stuart Estate, Isle of Bute, and in Carrara. My sculptures are in collections in Britain, Europe, and the Americas. 

Rosanne Barr was born in 1981 in the village of Gartocharn at the south end of Loch Lomond. She experienced the natural beauty of the countryside from an early age, finding inspiration in the far north of Scotland at Bainakiel in Sutherland, Arisaig and Altbea, Ross & Cromarty.

She was awarded Silver and Gold medals in successive years Glasgow's Kelvingrove Art Galleries Drawing Competition and subsequently exhibited at the Smith Galleries in Stirling. In 2003 she graduated from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art, Dundee with First Class Honours. Later that year she exhibited in London at the British Design Centre and at The Mall Galleries where she was awarded a Licentiate of Distinction by the Society of Designer Craftsmen.

Rosanne Barr began work on abstract landscape painting in 2005. Her work featured at the Lillie Art Gallery, Milngavie, The Green Gallery, Aberfoyle and a solo show, entitled Lands of Escape at The Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama. In March 2007, on a world excursion, she experienced the evocative sights of Thailand, Australia, New Zealand and Hawaii. 

On her return to Scotland she left employment with Perth Education Authority to concentrate full- time on an artistic career She has received invitations to many galleries in Scotland. Her most recent work has been selected for the Annual Exhibitions of the Royal Glasgow Institute of The Fine Arts and Paisley Art Institute.

Allan Black was born in Paisley in 1958 and trained at the Glasgow School of Art graduating in 1980. 

In 1987 he became an artist member of the Paisley Art Institute and has exhibited most years in their annual exhibitions since then. 

He had his first solo exhibition at the MacLaurin Gallery Ayr in 1982 since then he has had various solo shows including the Kelly Gallery Glasgow and the Lillie Gallery Milngavie.

He exhibited with the interactive group Open Circle in France and Germany, mainly collaborating with the Ayr poet Alistair Patterson. They recently had an exhibition of collaborative work in the Sanquhar Art Centre.

Allan Black has exhibited in various galleries in Ohio USA, including Imagine That Gallery, Marrow of Tradition Gallery, Lawrence Churski Gallery and Copper Moon Gallery. He was placed first in the Annual Ohio Exhibition in 1998 and in 2000 he had a solo exhibition at the Cuyahoga Valley Arts Centre Cuyahoga Falls Ohio.

He has had solo exhibitions at the Augenweide Gallery in Munster Germany and at the same gallery collaborative exhibitions/concerts with the musicians Allan Taylor and Jackie Leven. 

Allan Black's paintings illustrated the Allan Taylor songbook We Must Journey On. 

Recently Allan Black's portrait of Jackie Leven was used as the album cover to The Wanderer, a tribute to Jackie Leven featuring various artists including lan Rankin and Ralph McTell.

Allan Black first came to Rothesay to visit his Aunt and Uncle, Dave and Ann Mahy. He later returned on a sketching trip with Jim Wylie, who introduced him to The Castle Gallery. He has since returned to Rothesay regularly seeking inspiration. 

ALAN BROWN D.A.

Born in Greenock in 1948. 

Attended The Mount and Greenock High School. 

Attended Glasgow School of Art 1967-71. 

Teaching diploma from Jordanhill. 71-2 

Taught Art in Notre Dame High School, Greenock. 1972-98. 

Retired. 

Has exhibited in  Maclaurin Gallery, Paisley Art Institute, Castle Gallery and Seagull Gallery. Has works in collections in the UK and the US. 

His themes range from still life to landscape to cityscape, the latter  usually with some figures in the foreground.

These works are bright,  colourful and decorative and can be a composite of images and  memories. 

He is influenced by Fauvism, the Scottish Colourists and the works of  early 20th century artists. He is currently working in acrylics on canvas. 

He lives in Gourock. 

For Davy Brown there has never been any doubt about the path his life would take: to paint and to share his skill with others.

Davy was born in Kilmarnock in 1950 and studied at Glasgow School of Art from 1968 – 1972. The following year he qualified as an Art Teacher from Moray House in Edinburgh before winning a scholarship to travel and teach art in America, Canada and Iceland. 

His career began officially at the age of 21 when he held his first solo exhibition at the Citizen’s Theatre in Glasgow. After being in promoted posts in Grange Academy, Kilmarnock and Ravenspark Academy, Irvine he moved to Newton Stewart in Dumfries and Galloway and from 1989 – 2002, Davy was Principal Teacher of Art at Douglas-Ewart High School, during which time he continued to exhibit in one-man shows throughout the UK. 

In I997, he was elected on to the National Assessment Panel for Art and Design, and served for seven years. The same year he was appointed to the post of Lead Teacher in Art and Design for Dumfries and Galloway. 

For twenty-five years he worked in various capacities with The Scottish Examination Board and The Scottish Qualifications Authority, the final three years working as a Standardiser for the Advanced Higher examination. 

In 2002 he retired from teaching to become a full-time painter. 

Davy was President of the Dumfries and Galloway Fine Art Society from 2017 - 2020 Davy’s paintings can be seen in public collections nationwide: the Gracefield Arts Centre, Dumfries; The British Linen Bank; The University of Leicester; The University of York; the Dick Institute, Kilmarnock; Dumfries Royal Infirmary and The Royal Cumberland Hospital, Carlisle. 

In England he is represented by the following: Red Rag Gallery, Stow on the Wold; Jo Bennett Original Pictures, Manchester; Walker Gallery, Harrogate. 

Well-known figures such as David Suchet, Penelope Keith, J.K. Rowling, Robert Carlyle, Clare Balding and Jim Wallace are all in possession of his work.  

Katie Smith, working under the alias KatieBute, is an artist and textile designer based in Zurich, Switzerland. 

Katie´s formal education began at school on the Isle of Bute, where she began to take interest in painting and illustration. And, though an easily distracted student herself, she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Textile Design with Honours from Heriot-Watt University,  formerly the Scottish College of Textiles, where she gained experience in woven and knitted textiles before specialising in printed textiles.

She is inspired by a variety of sources, chiefly the skill of drawing and painting in a detailed and exhaustive manner.

Discovering all possibilities is an important aspect of her method; working closely with subject matter ensuring all qualities are captured  and then translated onto paper or fabric. 

In 2016, Katie made the move to Madrid, Spain and quickly gained a footprint in the city´s galleries and exhibitions as well as in wider Spain. 

2019 saw Katie make the move to Zurich, Switzerland where she continued to paint and present her work in an exciting art market.

KatieBute has art exhibited in galleries throughout the West Coast of Scotland, Italy, Amsterdam Spain and Switzerland.

Bob Bilson has developed his fused glass craft work using techniques and processes he learnt as a materials scientist in the electronics industry. 

His work is inspired by the birds, coastal scenery, wildlife and flowers that we have on the Isle of Bute.

He has recently developed a technique called "Fossil Vitra" where ferns and wild flowers found on Bute are glassified to
preserve them like the fossils of millions of years ago.