About Rosemary Beaton
B 1963 Greenock, Scotland.
Lives and works on the west coast of Scotland and Mallorca, Spain.
Beaton shot to fame in 1984 whilst still a student at the Glasgow School of Art when, at the age of 20, she won the National Portrait Gallery’s highly prestigious National Portrait Award with a 5 foot oil canvas of her partner Paul. Beaton was the first Scottish recipient of the UK award and the youngest ever to win the prize.
Her commissioned portrait of the British political broadcaster and commentator Sir Robin Day (1923-2000) is part of the contemporary collection in the N P G, London.
Her student years, key to her development, were years of excitement in Glasgow when highly figurative narrative painting was re-emerging Europe-wide. A few years above Beaton and her close knit contemporaries Mary MacLean, Alison Harper and Lesley Burr at GSA were the new Glasgow boys Steven Campbell, Ken Currie, Peter Howson and Adrian Wiszniewski. Their professional success acted as a beacon to the younger GSA students and Beaton and her contemporaries time at the ‘Mack’ was a heady mix of fun and hard work but above all it acted as a life long commitment to painting.
Quotes
Essays & Articles on the work
Rosemary Beaton: A New Angle:
In June 2024, Roger Spence visited Kilmacolm to meet Rosemary Beaton in her home studio. She set aside her summer gardening and imminent grandmothering to talk about a life of drawing and painting.
CV
Education
1986 – Post Graduate Diploma in Fine Art, Highly Commended and
1985 – B.A. Hons. Fine Art, First Class. Glasgow School of Art.
Publications
2018 – Sansom & Co publishes an illustrated book on the work of Rosemary Beaton
Solo Exhibitions
2018 – Alternative Realities. 9 George Square, Glasgow.
2010 – Solo Exhibition. Drum. Dunblane Street, Glasgow.
2009 – New Scottish and Spanish Painting. Micasa Apart Hotel, Market Street,
Aberdeen – Permanent exhibition of 48 large scale paintings.
2007 – Solo Exhibition. Mansfield Park Gallery, Glasgow.
1994 – Solo Exhibition. The Warehouse Gallery, Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal.
1991 – Solo Exhibition. Art from The Billiard Room. Glasgow.
1989 – Solo Exhibition. Flying Colours Gallery, Edinburgh.
1987 – Solo Exhibition. Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh.
1986 – Solo Exhibition. Corners Gallery, Glasgow.
Selected Group Exhibitions
2024 – 5@Fidra, with Helen Wilson; June Carey, Heather Nevay and Alice McMurrough, Fidra Fine Art, Gullane, West Lothian.
2023 – Glasgow Girls, Resist Much, Obey Little. A large retrospective exhibition with new work. With Alison Harper and Lesley Burr. The Art Pavilion, Mile End Park, London. A catalogue is available for this exhibition.
2022 – Artist Aid Ukraine – Large group exhibition including David Mach, Andy Goldsworthy, Jack Knox, Peter Howson, Adrian Wiszniewski, Barbara Rae, Ken Currie, Victoria Morton, Andy Scott, Callum Innes, Andrew Miller, Toby Paterson, Sam Ainsley, Helen Flockhart, Alison Harper, Lesley Burr, June Carey, Stephen Skrynka. Pentagon, Glasgow
2021 – 5@GPS with June Carey, Alice McMurrough, Heather Nevay and Helen Wilson. Glasgow Print Studio. Glasgow
2020 – Embody without Burden, RGI Kelly Gallery. Glasgow
2020 – Creating Connections, RGI Kelly Gallery. Glasgow
2019 – Perceptive Journey with June Carey and Damian Henry.
Celtic Connections Festival, Cass Art, Glasgow
2016 – Group Exhibition. Lemond gallery, Glasgow
2015 – September Song, Rodger Billcliffe Gallery, Glasgow
2015 – 8 Scottish Artists, Lemond Gallery, Glasgow
2012 – 400 Women in Holland. Sugar City, Amsterdam.
2011 – 400 Women. Edinburgh Festival, Edinburgh.
2010 – 400 Women. London.
2008 – Venice. Vaila Fine Art, Shetland – Including Lesley Burr and Alison Harper.Vaila Fine Art, Glasgow Girls
2007 – Watersongs. McLean Museum and Art Gallery, Greenock – Including Alec Galloway, Jack Knox, James D Robertson and Pamela So.
2005 – Monumental Women. Boundary Gallery, London – Including Alison Harper, Anita Klein, Niki de Saint Phalle and Paula Rego.
2004 – Love. Vaila Fine Art, Lerwick, Shetland – Including Lesley Burr and Alison Harper.
2003 – Sons and Mothers. Colins Gallery, Strathclyde University, Glasgow.
2003 – Drawing from Experience. Rodger Billcliffe Gallery, Glasgow.
2002 – Glasgow Girls. Shetland Museum, Lerwick, Shetland.
2002 – 4 Glasgow Girls. Boundary Gallery, London.
2000 – Marie R/Many Images of a Queen. Bourne Fine Art, Edinburgh.
2000 – The Body is Still a Good Read. Pentagon Centre, Glasgow – Including Jennifer McRae, Alison Harper, Cathy Richmond and Diana Leslie.
1998 – Venus Flower Basket. Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow.
1998 – Dutch/German Touring Exhibition of Contemporary Scottish Art. Kumlus Gallery, Maasticht; World Trade Centre, Amsterdam and Aachen.
1998 – Tongues of Diamond. Collins Gallery, Glasgow; City Gallery, Leicester and Smith Gallery, Stirling.
1997 – 5 Glasgow Girls. Boundary Gallery, London
1995 – The Hunting Art Prizes. Royal College of Art, London.
1995 – The Continuing Tradition, 75 years of Painting at Glasgow School of Art. Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow.
1994 – 4 Glasgow School of Art Lecturers. Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow.
1993 – Celebration-New British Art. Coode-Adams Martin Associates, London.
1993 – Glasgow Group Developments. Intermedia Gallery, Glasgow.
1992 – Glasgow Group. Queens Hall, Edinburgh.
1992 – The Portrait. Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal.
1992 – 13 Scottish Women Artists. Dunfermline District Museum, Dunfermline.
1992 – Ten Years of the John Player Portrait Award. National Portrait Gallery, London.
1990 – Rosemary Beaton and Alison Harper. Boundary Gallery, London.
1990 – Anchored in Figuration. The Arches, Glasgow.
1989 – Rosemary Beaton and Mary MacLean. Festival Exhibition, Step Gallery, Edinburgh.
1989 – 8 Women Artists. Perth Festival of Arts, Perth Museum and Art Gallery, Perth.
1986 – The Glasgow Girls – 5 Group Show. Boundary Gallery, London.
1986 – Rank Xerox. UK Travelling.
1985 – New Contemporaries. UK Travelling.
1984 – Athena International. Mall Galleries, London.
1984 – John Player National Portrait Award Exhibition. National Portrait Gallery, London. Public Art.
Selected Prizes and Painting Commissions
2022 – Levelling Up Real Estate Ltd Aberdeen: works for their new office.
2016 – Eugene Twist. Album Cover for ‘The Stuntman’.
2016 – Commissioned by Drum Property group – 10 paintings for their new Glasgow office.
2009 – 48 large scale paintings for Micasa Aparthotel, Aberdeen.
1994 – Culverwell & Co. Edinburgh. Alan Watt & Co. Glasgow.
1989 – Commendation Prize. Morrison Scottish Portrait Award, Royal Academy, Edinburgh.
1989 – Commissioned by The Church of Scotland to paint Reverend Ian Reid OBE.
1985 – Emmy Sachs Drawing Prize, Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow.
1985 – Commissioned to paint Sir Robin Day (Television and Radio Journalist) for the National Portrait Gallery, London.
1984 – Commissioned to paint Lord Provost Gray, Glasgow.
1984 – Glasgow School of Art Summer Scholarship to “Hospital Field House”, Arbroath.
1984 – Winner of the John Player National Portrait Award, National Portrait Gallery, London.
Collections
The National Portrait Gallery, London.
The British Broadcasting Corporation.
Motherwell District Council.
BBC Productions ‘Tutti Frutti’ and ‘Paris’.
Freshfields, Bruckhaus, DeringerLLP, London; York.
Micasa Apart Hotel, Aberdeen.
The Grace of The Birch. Collection for the Ward Block, Stobhill Hospital, Glasgow.
Artist in Residence | Teaching
2008-2022: Visiting Painting Tutor. The Essential School of Painting, London
2006-2017: Life Drawing and Painting Tutor. Glasgow School of Art; Continuing Education.
2013-2014: Artist in Residence. Kingswells, Aberdeen.
2006-2008: Artist in Residence/ Drawing Tutor. Glass Department, Edinburgh College of Art.
1990-1997: 1st& 2nd Year Tutor. Painting Department, Glasgow School of Art.
1985: On the Judging panel of the National Portrait Award 1985. NPG, London.
Public Art
2017 – Working with Henry Boot Developments Ltd. Providing a series of workshops at the Howden Park centre, Livingston.
2014 – Present and Future. Entrance Art Work comprising 50m x 25m grass waves and 2 steel heads measuring 3m each at Prime Four, Aberdeen.
2006 – West End Window. 11m x 2.2m Stained Glass Window on Ashton Lane, Glasgow. Rosemary Beaton and Alec Galloway. Commissioned by Palisade Properties Plc.
2004 – The Brewery Cat Steel Railing; measuring 50m to mark the regeneration of Alloa town centre. Commissioned by Clackmannanshire Council.
2004 – The Brewery Cat. A Public Art Schools’ Project, Alloa. Commissioned by Clackmannanshire Council.
2000 – 7ft Cacti Mosaic. The Atrium, Byres Road, Glasgow. Commissioned by Palisade Properties Plc.
Charitable Work
Artist Aid Ukraine: 2022
One of 4 founding members to set up Artist Aid Ukraine which is a platform to enable artists to help raise funds for charities helping Ukrainian refugees.
Total amount raised so far for the British Red Cross and Opora is £167,830.
RGI: 2019-2021
Served on the board of the Royal Glasgow Institute
Orkidstudio: 2016-2019
Served on the fundraising Committee of Orkidstudio, a British architectural charity based in Nairobi helping build hospitals/ orphanage/community projects in Africa, Cambodia, etc
Selected Bibliography
Rosemary Beaton, Sansom & Co published 2018
Drawing and painting, Materials & Techniques for contemporary Artists.
Kate Wilson, Thames & Hudson
The Grace of The Birch. Art Nature Healing, 2011. Book to accompany the Stobhill Collection. Published by Stewarts of Edinburgh
Self build and design, March 2008: Eleanor Wilde. Photographs: Nigel Rigden.
The Glasgow Group 1958-2008. Book published to coincide with the 50th Anniversary Exhibition at the Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow, 2008.
McLean Museum and Art Gallery Publication, 2007.
Scottish Painting, 1837 to the Present. William Hardie.
Seven Days Cover Story. Barry Didcock, Sunday Herald, 8th April 2007. Herald Article April, 7, 2007
Making a Scene. Jennifer Harper, The Herald, 18th March 2006.
Sons and Mothers. Collins Gallery Publication.
Pentagon Centre News, June 2000. A body of work by the Pentagon Five.
Many Images of a Queen. Ian McFarlane Publication. Marie R, 2000.
The Body is Still a Good Read. Giles Sutherland, The Times, May 2000.
Tongues of Diamond. Elizabeth Mahoney, The Scotsman, 28/1/99.
Tongues of Diamond. Collins Gallery Catalogue, Sandy Moffat, 1999.
A Lore Unto Themselves. The Herald, 13th February 1999.
Storming the Citadel. Clare Henry, The Herald, 13th March 1997.
Journey Into Outer Space. The Glasgow Herald, 15th May 1997.
Cameo appearance in Paris
