85 Realistic Watercolor Paintings Scottish Artist Angus McEwan

I have used watercolour exclusively for many years now. Occasionally I will use oil or Acrylic paint but I keep returning to this incredible medium even though it is considered by some as being a lesser way of working. I love watercolours vibrancy, its matt quality, its ability to dry quickly and its calligraphic quality as well as the capacity to allow me to express myself clearly in the manner that suits my personality.

However I don’t consider myself to be a watercolourist in the traditional sense as I work for long hours perfecting each piece using multi layers of pure colour to develop strength of tone and colour that provides me with the quality of detail not normally associated with watercolour.

To fully honour my topics I employ fine detail in my work and have found this has become an increasing fascination for me. Watercolour helps me to develop that crisp, sharp quality that I enjoy using which is perfect for describing the transient nature of my subject matter.

My muse over the past 27 years has become entwined with my materials. As I have enjoyed exploring textures and surfaces with watercolour I have also grown to be fond of old doors, windows, walls and buildings, in fact anything which is transient in our environment.

The fugitive nature of life, and in fact of all things, means everything is constantly in a state of flux and my paintings aim to capture those moments where the inevitability of decay means that that moment will never exist again in its current form. I have often found myself returning to a favourite subject a few years later to find the item has degenerated, been repainted, vandalised or missing altogether.

It is at that point I value the importance of capturing a point in time which will no longer exist. The more aged, decrepit or falling apart my subject matter is, the more important it is to capturing those never to be repeated moments lost in time.

Angus won second prize in the Sunday Times Watercolour Competition (2007) in London and the International Prize “Marche d’Acqua” Fabriano, Italy in 2012. In 2013, Angus won Bronze Award, at the Shenzhen International Watercolour Biennial, in China. In 2016 Angus was presented with the title of Honorary Citizen of Fabriano and awarded the Watercolour Enthusiasts award and the “People’s Choice Award” in the San Diego International Watercolour Exhibition, USA.

He was also presented with the Master World Watercolour artist 2016 Award, Thailand and the “Gallery A” award in the Watercolour International III, Thessaloniki, Greece.

Different galleries have displayed McEwan’s works, including Ok Harris Gallery in New York and Quanhua Gallery, Shanghai and the Plus One Gallery, London. Recently highlighted in Shenzhen Biennale and the Qingdao Hall of Watercolor.

He has exhibited in Fabriano, Italy in the “Marche d’Acqua” International Award, as special guest, and in Vicenza, Italy, where he had a solo show in the “Artbox”. Angus also exhibited at the World Watermedia Exposition, Thailand and Myro Gallery, Greece.

Most recently Angus exhibited in the 3rd, 4th & 5th Silk Road International Arts Festival, Xian, China and the First International Master Watercolour Exhibition, Jimo, Qingdao, China 2016-18. In 2017 Angus received an award at the San Diego Watercolour Society 37th International Exhibition receiving the signature members third place prize.

In 2018 Angus received a 3rd Place award at the ARC Salon Competition (the largest and most prestigious Competition in the Western world for realist Art) for landscape painting and an honourable mention in the still life category.

His Painting “Shroud of Qingdao” will be exhibited in the “Salamagundi Club”, New York City, Sotheby’s in Los Angeles and the MEAM Museum in Barcelona, Spain. In August 2018 Angus was elected a member of the Australian Watercolour Institute.

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Over the past 27 years Angus McEwan has become entranced by the materiality of his medium as well as his subject. He enjoys exploring textures and surfaces with watercolour and has grown fond of anything which is transient in our environment.

The fugitive nature of life, and in fact of all things, means everything is constantly in a state of flux and McEwan aims to capture those moments through his paintings. The more aged, decrepit or falling apart my subject matter is, the more important it is to capturing those never to be repeated moments lost in time.

Focusing on solely using watercolour, McEwan describes his love for the medium… “I love the vibrancy, its matt quality, its ability to dry quickly and its calligraphic quality as well as the capacity to allow me to express myself clearly in the manner that suits my personality.”

Although, he does not utilise the medium in the traditional sense, McEwan uses multiple layers of pure colour to develop strength of tone and colour that provides him with the quality of detail not normally associated with watercolour. “Watercolour helps me to develop that crisp, sharp quality that I enjoy using which is perfect for describing the transient nature of my subject matter.” – Angus McEwan.

McEwan has won many awards throughout his career, including the John Blockley Prize and the Shenzhen International Watercolour Biennial, in China. His most recent prize was winning the May Marshall Brown award at the Royal Scottish Society of Painters in watercolours (RSW), Edinburgh, 2015.

McEwen’s work is in many private collections throughout the United Kingdom, Norway, Netherlands, Australia, Turkey, Italy, China and North America.

For purchase enquiries and costs, or to arrange a viewing, please contact our team at info@plusonegallery.com or phone the gallery directly on 020 7730 7656.

Via Plus One Gallery

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Over the past 30 years Angus McEwan has become entranced by the materiality of his medium as well as his subject. He enjoys exploring textures and surfaces with watercolour and has grown fond of anything which is transient in our environment.
The fugitive nature of life, and in fact of all things, means everything is constantly in a state of flux and McEwan aims to capture those moments through his paintings.

 Focusing on solely using watercolour, McEwan describes his love for the medium…

“I love the vibrancy, its matt quality, its ability to dry quickly and its calligraphic quality as well as the capacity to allow me to express myself clearly in the manner that suits my personality.”

Although, he does not utilise the medium in the traditional sense, McEwan uses multiple layers of pure colour to develop strength of tone and colour that provides him with the quality of detail not normally associated with watercolour.

“Watercolour helps me to develop that crisp, sharp quality that I enjoy using which is perfect for describing the transient nature of my subject matter.”

– Angus McEwan

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ANGUS MCEWAN 

Born in Dundee, Scotland, 1963, Lives and works in Dundee.

EDUCATION

• 1987 Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art, Dundee
• B.A. (Hon’s) Fine Art.
• 1988 Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art, Dundee
• Post-Graduate, Fine Art. (Commended)
• 1996 Northern College of Education, Aberdeen
• Post-Graduate Certificate Secondary Education
• Art and Design. (Distinction)

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS

• 2015 “Transience”, The Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh
• 2014 Museo della Carta e Della Fillgrana, Fabriano, Italy
• 2014 The Arts Box, Vicenza, Italy
• 2011 “Mirror Image”, Queens Gallery, Dundee
• 2010 “Resonance”, Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh
• 2009 “Insights”, Queens Gallery, Dundee
• 2008 “Curiosities”, Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh
• 2007 “New Paintings”, Queens Gallery, Dundee
• 2006 “Farthest West, al-Maghreb al-Aqsa”, Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh
• 2004 “Scratch the surface”, Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh
• 2002 Glasgow Arts Club, Glasgow
• 2002 “Out of the Shadows”, Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh
• 2001 Shire Pottery and Gallery, Alnwick
• 2000 “Evolution”, Leith Gallery, Edinburgh
• 1997 Le Mur Vivant Fine Art, London- “Chinese Whispers”
• 1997 Leith Gallery, Leith, Edinburgh- “Icons”
• 1996 Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh- “Alastair Salvesen Travelling Scholarship”
• 1994 Gallery 41, Edinburgh- “Country of the Mind”
• 1992 Tolquhon Gallery, Aberdeenshire
• 1990 Riverside Gallery, Stonehaven

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

• 2015 Mexico City, First International Watercolour Exhbit
• 2015 Thessalonika Watercolour Salon, Greece
• 2014 Qungdao International Watercolour Salon, China
• 2014 Watercolour Masters Exhibition, St Petersburg, Russia
• 2014 Watercolour International 2, Thessaloniki, Greece
• 2014 The World Water Media Exposition, Thailand
• 2014 Concours Mondial De L’Aquarelle, France
• 2014 Watercolour Exhibition, Myro Gallery, Greece
• 2013-2015 Plus One Gallery
• 2013, 2015 Shenzhen International Watercolour Biennial, China
• 2013 RWS in Malta, Bankside Gallery, London
• 2013 RWS in Malta, Valetta, Malta
• 2012- 14 Sunday Times Watercolour Competition
• 2012 “Art of the Real”-Touring exhibition with David Poxon RI, Denis Ryan RWS and Sandra Walker RI: Exhibiting in Aldeburgh, England; Charleston, USA; Roundtop, Texas,
• SA; London; New York, USA; Edinburgh, Scotland; Shanghai, China.
• 2007 “Scots Abroad”, Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh
• 2006 “Tale of two Cities”, Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh
• 2003 Mike Healey, Angus McEwan, Lachlan Goudie, Thompson’s, London
• 2001-02 Scottish show, Thompsons Gallery, London
• 1997 The Natural World, Beatrice Royal Art Gallery, Hampshire
• 1996 The Sea – The Scottish Fisheries Museum, Anstruther
• 1995-99 The Courtyard Gallery, Crail Uprising Exhibition, The Meffan Institute, Forfar
  1995-96 Leith Gallery, Leith, Edinburgh
• 1993 River Spirits Exhibition – toured Scotland
• Princeton International Art Exhibition, New Jersey, U.S.A
• Ten Years On – The Alastair Salvesen Art Scholarship 1989-1998
• RSW comes to Richmond, The Richmond Hill Gallery, Surrey.
• “If I could go anywhere”, Alastair Salvesen 15 years, RSA, Edinburgh
• “Enchanted Places”, Reinhard Behrens, Angus McEwan Charles McQueen,
• Dawson Murray, Shire Pottery Gallery & Studios, Alnwick
• “Artists Kew”, Kew Gardens, London
• “Leading Masters of Contemporary Realism”, Winstanley-Roark Fine Arts, MA, USA
• PUBLICATIONS

The following publications include my work:

• 100 ways to Paint Still-Life and Florals, International Artist Publication (ISBN 1-929834-39-X)
• Who’s who in Scotland: Who’s who in Art, 31st Edition, (ISBN 0-904722-39-2)- updated 2012
• 100 ways to Paint Flowers & Gardens, International Artist Publication (ISBN 1-929834-44-6)
• 100 ways to Paint Seascapes, Rivers & Lakes, International artist Publication (ISBN 1-929834-45-4)
• The Watercolour Skies & clouds Techniques of 23 International Artists; International artist publication (ISBN 1-929834-35-7)
• “Artists Kew”, (ISBN 1-84246-143-5) Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
• International Artist, “Finalist” Art Prize challenge No. 48 April/May issue 2006
• International Artist, “Finalist” Art Prize challenge No. 14 March/April issue 2003
• International Artist, “Finalist” Art Prize challenge No. 17 Oct/Nov issue 2003
• International Artist Magazine, “Symbolism”-(8 page spread) 2002
• The Brit Art Directory 2001. International Artist Magazine, “feature on the International Guild of Realism” 2008
• The Dictionary of Scottish Painters 1600 to the Present, 2012
• American Art Collector, “feature on the Art of the Real”, April 2012
• Winsor & Newton, “feature on Art of the Real”, Emag article, March 2012
• Artists & Illustrators, “feature on the Art of the Real”, April 2012
• The Watercolour artist, USA, “feature on the Art of the Real”, February, 2012
• 8 page feature in The Art of Watercolour, 8th issue;September/November 2012
• Inclusion in many international watercolour publications from 2013-15
• International Watercolour Books Pending Publication (China, Korea, UK and Russia)
• AWARDS & SCHOLARSHIPS
• 2015 May Marshall Brown Award, RSW, Edinburgh
• 2013 Bronze Award, Shenzhen International Watercolour Biennial,

China

• 2012 Elected full signatory member of the RWS
• 2012 1st Prize – International Prize, “Marche d’ Acqua” Fabriano Watercolour 2012
• 2009 Elected Associate member of the Royal Watercolour Society,

London

• 2007 International Artist Magazine, “Finalist Award (issue 56)
• 2007 2nd Prize, Kaupthing Singer & Friedlander / Sunday Times Watercolour Competition, London
• 2006 International Artist Magazine, “Finalist” Award (issue 48)
• 2005 John Blockley award, Royal Institute of painters in water colours
• 2005 Elected Associate member of the International Guild of Realism,

USA

• 2004 John Gray award, RSW, Edinburgh
• 2003 International artist award – Finalist (issue 30 & 33)
• 2002 Diana King/Scottish Gallery Award, RSA
• 2002 Elected member of Visual Arts Scotland
• 2001 The Glasgow Art Club Fellowship, RSW
• 1999 Alexander Graham Munro Award RSW, Edinburgh
• 1996 Alastair Salvesen Art Scholarship, Travel Award and Exhibition.
• 1995 Royal Scottish Academy Latimer Award, Edinburgh
• 1995 Elected Member of the Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolours
• 1990 Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Second Award, Canada
• 1987 Scottish Education Department Minor Travelling Award
• 1987 Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Award, Canada
• 1986 Hospitalfield House Art College Scholarship.
• Travel to China-July to October, 1996

Gallery

 

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Artist Angus McEwan’s Website