SCOTT NAISMITH

ESSENCE

DATES

Show runs from Saturday 5th October to Sunday 13th October 2024

From 11.00am to 5.00pm daily

YOU CAN BUY OR RESERVE NOW

Call 0141 942 4683 or alternatively email kenlemond@msn.com

SCOTT NAISMITH
ESSENCE

Scott Naismith is an artistic powerhouse who paints outstanding, high impact paintings !

He is the new force at the leading edge of the Scottish modern ‘semi-abstract’ landscape movement. Naismith has introduced a step-change in modern landscape art and has had a huge influence on this phase of Scottish art development.

There is nothing simple about Naismith’s paintings.

They are not cynical (commercial) decorative designs but reflect his careful and innovative build of a new approach to landscape painting. Scott has effectively lifted a traditional painting form (landscapes) and converted it into his own, unique (modern) interpretation and his own very recognisable new landscape language. 

For this show titled ESSENCE, Naismith cites a Henri Matisse quote “I don’t paint things, I paint the difference between things”. Scott draws on this sentiment of Matisse’s quote in his own statement “I don’t paint places; I paint the essence of place”. 

He explains that his goal is “to have the viewer recognise a feeling of place without the specifics of the literal description of the land. Once these defining characteristics are dispensed with, the challenge is then to utilise multiple viewpoints, experiences and light conditions to convey a more emotional and spiritual perception of place”.

Scott Naismith was born in Glasgow in 1978. He studied printing and illustration at the Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, Dundee (1996-2000). Scott’s early-stage degree work was (non-representational Howsonesque) figurative, architectural and urban. It was only post-qualification, when he went on to research Colour Theory (for a part-time teaching career) that he discovered the colour philosophies of Henri Matisse (1869-1954) and he turned to paint the bright colour semi-abstracts of the Scottish landscape. He was also artistically influenced by JMW Turner (1775-1851) (translucence), Franz Kline (1910-62) (boldness of line) and Willem de Kooning (1904-1997) (paint combination).

The foundations of Naismith’s work is about colour. In the Matisse sense, he wants to use colour as a means of expression rather than description. Rather than seek brightly coloured subjects, Scott wants the freedom to use colour the way he wants, creating his own new reality. Rather than being literal with the greys, blues and greens of a scene, he wants the viewer to be ‘excited’ by the exaggerated colour in his paintings and, as a result, to feel more positive and optimistic about life.
 
Naismith’s artistic metier is undoubtedly on the rise.

He was commissioned (2020) to produce 5 paintings by (global drinks giant) Diageo Plc for their Edinburgh Johnnie Walker Visitor Centre and four of their refurbished distilleries including the original distillery facility at Kilmarnock, Cardhu (Speyside), Glenkinchie (Lowland), Clynelish (Highland) and Caol Ila (Islay). The original of the Kilmarnock facility is featured in the Visitor Centre in Edinburgh together with 4 wallpaper reproductions of the other distilleries in the rooftop Explorer’s Bothy Bar.

He was also recently (2024) asked to be the artist in a Diageo AI (Artificial Intelligence) customer experience project (based at the Johnnie Walker Whisky Experience in Edinburgh) whereby an AI programme used a base of 150 of Scott’s paintings to create an AI image, which was centred on certain questionnaire variables (for example serene-chaotic, urban-rural and order-chaos) that was then printed onto a Special Edition Johnnie Walker Blue Label whisky bottle for the customer. Each image was unique to that customer based on their input preferences. Over 2000 bottles were produced. 

The fact that a £17.1 billion turnover (28000 employee) internationally renowned drinks Brand worked with Naismith alongside their international whisky and malt whisky brands is hugely prestigious for Scott and this independent recognition is a clear validation of how his abilities are perceived.

Naismith has already made his mark on Scottish art history with his unique approach and art innovation. He is clearly also developing an increasing international reputation.

Exciting paintings with a great pedigree - a powerful combination for any buyer !

SCOTT NAISMITH SOLO SHOW 2024

ESSENCE