Fife painters’ prestigious prizes

A trio of Fife artists have won awards at the Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolour 137th open annual exhibition

Alfons B Jasinski, Derek Robertson and Ruth Stiven picked up the accolades at the exhibition at the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh.

Mr Jasinski, who studied at Edinburgh College of Art before teaching for more than 30 years, won the £250 Sir William Gillies Award for Red Rudder.

The painting was inspired by living in Dysart and an interest in the rusted metal rudders and peeling boat hulls.

Balmerino-based artist Mr Robertson, who studied at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design in Dundee, won the Scottish Arts Club award.

The painting Chairmen Of The Observatory was inspired by a fishermen’s bothy on the Monach Isles off the coast of Benbecula where he stayed while helping a team trap and ring storm petrels for a study.

Ms Stiven, who trained at Edinburgh College of Art and lives in St Andrews, won the £250 Turcan Connell award.

She celebrates patterns bringing together man-made and natural objects into still life compositions with an element of mystery.

The exhibition is open until March 8 and features more than 180 new paintings by both established and emerging artists from across Scotland.