Kildonan, one of Jolomo’s favourite places to paint
Arran features prominently in a new exhibition by Argyll-based artist John Lowrie Morrison, OBE – known as Jolomo.
Listing the island as one of his favourite places to paint, John’s exhibition at the Archway Gallery in Lochgilphead is called Towards the Light – Arran and Kintyre, and was opened last weekend by MSP Michael Russell. It runs until the end of the month.
Jolomo, who is based in Tayvallich, said: ‘My two most favourite places to paint are Kildonan on Arran and Grogport in Kintyre. My first paintings of these two places were exhibited in the Royal Glasgow Institute exhibition in 1974. It’s wonderful to return to them.
‘The villages are not that far apart, separated by only a few miles of the Kilbrannan Sound. The light there is magical, constantly changing as the weather belts in over Arran and low light from the south pushes its way through low clouds.
‘It might look like I’m painting landscape, but really I’m painting light. That’s one reason I love painting in Argyll – the light is constantly changing, bringing out different colours and tones,’ he added.
Jolomo studied at Glasgow School of Art and worked as an art teacher at Lochgilphead High School, and later as an art adviser in Strathclyde Region, before leaving education to paint full-time in 1997.
His expressionist landscapes of the west coast in high-key colour have made him one of Scotland’s most popular and successful painters whose work has been purchased by celebrities including Madonna, Sting, Simon Le Bon and Gregor Fisher.
Part of the proceeds from sales at the exhibition will be gifted to the Mackintosh Appeal, which was set up following the first fire in the Mackintosh Building at the Glasgow School of Art in 2014.
John said: ‘I was shocked and devastated when the building was again destroyed by fire in June, just as parts of the restoration from the first fire were almost complete. It was a wonderful building to work in, and I hope it will rise again.’