Andy Cross

ANDY CROSS is known for his rich oil paintings but began studying Jewellery.

Born in Hamilton, Lanarkshire, in 1944, Andy attended Glasgow School of Art from 1971 to 1975 as a mature student, graduating in Jewellery and Silversmithing. In his third year at Art School he won a competition to design and make a trophy for the Clyde Canoe Club.  In his fourth year he was commissioned to design and make a silver and gold trophy for a Highland School. Following graduation, he began teaching Art and Design in Lanarkshire and Glasgow Schools.

He has exhibited widely and has work in collections including those of the Bank of Scotland, The Atholl Trust and East Kilbride Development Corporation.

"During my teaching career I continued to make jewellery on commission for several years. Then, in 1985 I decided to concentrate on painting. Since my early retirement in 2002 I have had more time to devote to painting my favourite subjects of Landscape and Still Life.

Most of my inspiration comes from the surrounding countryside of my home in Lanarkshire and from my frequent visits to France.  In my Landscape paintings I am more interested in creating an atmosphere rather than a photographic image. This can be the damp, dreich Scottish weather or the sunlit paintings of Provence.  However, my most recent work has been Still Life with the simplification of shapes and space. I feel this has been influenced by my love for Japanese art and design where everything is stripped to its basic essentials. This has led me to flattening some of the elements to the picture plane rather than conveying three dimensional objects.

It is also important to me that I keep the application of the paint as fresh looking as possible with the brush marks and scrapings still evident in the finished work. How I can apply all of this to the textures and shapes of landscapes is still an ongoing process."