A Jewel of an exhibition

John Lowrie Morrison, known as Jolomo, will be displaying his latest work at the Gatehouse Gallery in Rouken Glen Park — in a show called John Lowrie Morrison: Islay — A Jewel of the Hebrides — from this Saturday for three weeks.

Famous for his colourful landscapes, Jolomo is one of Scotland’s best-selling artists who has bucked the downward trend of the financial downturn, which has affected sections of the art world, and continues to hold sell-out exhibitions.

The recipient of an OBE, Mr Morrison’s fans include Sting, Madonna and Rick Stein — who all own examples of his work.

He said: “My first drawing expedition to Islay was in the 1960s.

“It still informs how I see the island even though I’ve made many dozens of painting trips there since.

“Islay is often called a jewel of an island, which sums up its exceptional beauty, but what I particularly like is its close proximity to Jura, with the wonderful Paps of Jura dominating the skyline.”

Jolomo began painting full time in 1997, after working for 25 years in art education, and quickly became one of Scotland’s best-selling painters.

In 2012, he and his wife Maureen, long-term carers themselves, were invited by Princess Anne to become vice presidents of the Carers Trust (formerly the Pricess Royal Trust for Carers) and John will donate a percentage of the proceeds from this exhibition to Carers Trust Scotland.

Drew Henderson, owner of the Gatehouse Gallery, said: “This is the fourth exhibition we’ve had of John’s work, and we’re delighted to have such a prestigious artist exhibiting at the gallery.”