Caithness artist Shelagh Swanson shortlisted for prestigious Highland art competition
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Three Caithness artists have had their work put forward for the inaugural Highland Art Prize with one being shortlisted for the final 10 who are up for the award.
Shelagh Swanson is one of the lucky 10 shortlisted for her painting Journey's End and two other local artists, Jenny Bruce and Jackie Newton, were nominated by the Society of Caithness Artists to appear in the Perth show.
"It's lovely to get that validation and really encouraging for this style of painting that I've only been doing for the last year," said Shelagh who recently moved back to the county after living in Aberdeen.
The Bower-based artist just returned from a residency at the Chicago Glass Collective in the US where she was lauded for her creative approach to glass fusion. "To come home and get shortlisted for this prize just gives you that little lift – you know you're doing the right thing and people appreciate your work."
The painting that has been shortlisted for the Highland Art Prize is called Journey's End and was created a few months ago after Shelagh had returned from another trip. "It's a Caithness-inspired landscape and nowhere in particular. The journey has finished for the time being and it's a place to breathe. I think it's a very peaceful and serene painting."
With Journey's End, Shelagh said she worked up the painting with layers of light and atmosphere on the canvas but from the perspective of a glass artist. "It's really interesting and for the first time in a long time I feel I have a body of work inside me that is just dying to come out."
The Society of Caithness Artists had put a call-out to its members to deliver two-dimensional artwork for the Highland competition and Shelagh took up the offer along with two other professional artists who exhibit locally, Jenny Bruce and Jackie Newton.
The purpose of the Highland Art Prize is to "promote Highland art on a national scale and raise the profile of local artists" working across the Highlands and Islands. Together with a cash prize of £1,000 for the winning artwork, the winner will also have the opportunity to mount an exhibition during 2023 in a street-front space at The Briggait cultural hub in central Glasgow.
The winning artwork will be selected by an independent judge during the course of the Royal National Mòd week and the exhibition will be promoted as part of the Royal National Mòd.
Shelagh says it is good that the Society of Caithness Artists is helping promote the work of local creatives outside the county. "Professional artists who make a living from being an artist – that's a good thing to promote. I'm absolutely delighted with it all."
For more info and a list of the nominated and shortlisted artists please visit: highlandartprize.org.uk/
The 10 shortlisted artworks were selected by Islay artist and BBC ALBA presenter Heather Dewar and the winner will be announced at a prize-giving ceremony at the City Contemporary Art gallery in Perth on Friday, October 21.
