Gwen Adair

Gwen Adair grew up in Fife and still visits to paint landscapes. She trained at Glasgow School of Art, and now paints and teaches in Dumfriesshire. She was a shortlisted artist in the 2018 Scottish Portrait Awards. She has shown her work across the UK and developed an impressive following.

She was first known for her figure compositions and portraits, with a fascination for the way the disposition of the figures can create a story in the mind of the viewer. Birds began to appear alongside the figures and these have now become a subject in themselves.

“There is also something knowing about birds. My new-found love of landscape painting is allowing me to use expressive and gestural mark-making, inspired by JD Fergusson. My themes are quite traditional, and I tend to work quickly in an “alla prima” fashion. Hopefully this gives a certain spontaneity to the work. I strongly believe that the paint should be part of the painting, and that the marks themselves should add to the image.”