Leith artist, Bill Gillon, is currently being honoured with a Retrospective Exhibition at The Scottish Arts Club, Edinburgh. Bill, who was born in 1942, was the youngest child of a large family where the Church played an important part in their lives. This certainly shows in some of his earlier works.
Bill was encouraged by his art teacher, the famous Ricky Demarco, to become a student at Edinburgh College of Art. Although Bill was talented he did not take kindly to authority and curiously was suspended from the college at the same time as being awarded a painting prize! Â Bill went on to teach at a number of schools then moved to Telford College for the next 30 years.
It is true to say his works vary from the dark to the beautiful and life enhancing. There are 49 pictures and drawings, displayed over four floors. The range of materials is just as eclectic as the subject matter. The artist used mixed media oil – clearly a favourite – and charcoal.
Bill’s talent for drawing is reflected in all the works and this is the lasting impression I formed of the whole range. Among my own favourites are ‘Woman through rain window’ painted in oil; ‘Harlequin with monkey’ charcoal on paper; ‘Woman in Violin’ done in oil and also in oil ‘Yellow Taxi’.
Sadly, following a suspected stroke four years ago Bill is now unable to work and his memory is also impaired. Experts in the field of art believe he would otherwise continued to further develop his undoubted skills.
The Exhibition runs until 2nd May and the majority of works are for sale.
Open to the public from Tuesday to Saturday from 11 am to 5 pm.
Scottish Arts Club, 24 Rutland Square, Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH1 2BW
For more information, contact 0131 229 8157 or email manager@scottishartsclub.co.uk
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Christine has over 25 years' experience in public life in Scotland in the fields of politics, education, public relations and charity work. For 12 years she served on the City of Edinburgh District Council and was her Group's leader for 4 years. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. In 1992 she was made an OBE. Christine is a member of the Board of The Friends of the Royal Scottish Academy. She has just completed six years on the Board of The Edinburgh International Festival.
Christine's business experience has covered the fields of theatre, economic development, science, coal mining, education and training. She has held a number of non-executive directorships in these disciplines. She is a trained and experienced personal relationships counsellor and a business and personal mentor. In 2005 Christine established Christine Richard Associates who undertake Event Management and Public Relations as well as company and individual profiling. She coordinated the 'Yes to Edinburgh' campaign on congestion charging in Edinburgh. ten years ago Christine co-founded West Lothian Women in Business, which is a network for women who are self-employed and also for women managers. Christine has now stepped down from the Chair of this thriving organisation.
For 5 years Christine was a magistrate in the District Court. She was also a member of the Secretary of State's Advisory Committee on the appointment of Justices of the Peace. She has been an adviser to Government in various areas of policy, including health, local government and education.
Christine is a trained and experienced radio and television broadcaster and writer as well as an entertaining and accomplished speaker. She has a wealth of topics on which she is invited to speak. These range from witty after lunch and after dinner speaking to the more serious topics of the economy, health, education, enterprise, the Powers of the Mind and Life/work balance. She writes reviews and articles for lifestyle magazine, Lothian Life. She took part as a contestant in an ITV gourmet TV show, Chef V Britain, challenging TV chef Gino D'Acampo to cook her signature dish, Posh Cottage Pie. Currently Christine is a member of the Goodison Group in Scotland and Scotland's Futures. Also she is involved in the group Changing the Chemistry of Scottish Boards. Her first novel, Whitewalls, a modern Scottish family saga has been published by New Generation Publishing and is available on all internet books siets and from libraries. She is writing a sequel Autumn at Whitewalls.
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Bill’s talent for drawing is reflected in all the works and this is the lasting impression I formed of the whole range. Among my own favourites are ‘Woman through rain window’ painted in oil; ‘Harlequin with monkey’ charcoal on paper; ‘Woman in Violin’ done in oil and also in oil ‘Yellow Taxi’.