From garrison to gallery wall
Soldier’s art on show at Smith
Stirling-based freelance illustrator Owain Kirby is not afraid to take himself out of his creative comfort zone.
The supply teacher is not only a talented artist but also a keen army reservist with Delta Company, 7 Scots, who have a base in Stirling.
Owain grew up in the West Highlands, close to Strontian, and attended Lochaber High School in Fort William, where inspirational art teachers encouraged his creativity. He went on to Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art in Dundee, where he studied illustration and printmarking with a particular interest in lino-cut the carving of linoleum to create printing blocks.
The support and enthusiasm of a tutor gave him the courage to pursue this further, resulting in him being awarded a first-class BA Honours degree.
Owain’s distinctive illustrations have been commissioned by commercial clients from the graphic design, advertising, publishing and editorial sectors.
But visitors to Stirling’s Smith Art Gallery and Museum can see a host of his wide-ranging lino-cut work until Christmas.
Owain’s life experience beyond the art and teaching world is certainly varied and has included working on a salmon farm.
It is his role as an army reservist, however, which has proved his most challenging and also one of the most rewarding.
“I felt I had to do something that took me out of my creative environment and my comfort zone but which would also help others,” said Owain. “I wanted to challenge myself.”
He now serves as an assault pioneer soldier and has trained both in the UK and overseas, beginning his forces career in 2000 and achieving his Volunteer Reserve Service Medal.
As a keen history enthusiast he uses his knowledge of military history to educate the public, including school groups, and it also proves useful in many of his works.
Historical battle scenes, including some from the Jacobite era, feature in some of his art and he often finds himself using his military training to provide more authenticity, such as depicting how soldiers would be positioned in battle.
Owain’s attention to detail, however, does not stop with military scenes.
“I have been known to contact historians to ask what a bucket would have looked at in medieval times,” he said.
“I have to become something of a temporary expert when I am commissioned to do artwork but I have learned how to work fast and to a deadline. There is quite an emphasis on historical stuff.”
His commissions have included one from the Inner Forth project, who wanted a depiction of Alloa Harbour reflecting industries of the past such as coal and shipping. The piece is among those on display at The Smith.
While most of his work is commissioned from within the UK, he also has clients from as far afield as Germany and Singapore.
A depiction of The Battle of Bosworth has also been among his commissioned pieces, as has work on Richard III, the monarch whose remains were found underneath a car park in Leicester.
His work will be on display at the Smith until December 21. For more information see www. smithartgalleryand museum.co.uk.