Christine Woodside RSW RGI

CHRISTINE WOODSIDE was born in Aberdeen and trained at Gray's School of Art, Aberdeen, in the 1960s. She was awarded a Post Diploma High Commend.  She won the prestigious David Murray Scholarship for Landscape painting in 1966 and then the Hospitalfield Scholarship in 1968.  She was at Hospitalfield Summer School with Jack Knox as a visiting lecturer.  On graduating, she trained at Aberdeen Teacher Training College where she was awarded Distinction.  

She received much critical acclaim but spent time looking after her children as they were growing up and  it wasn’t until the early 1990s that she returned to exhibiting and began to receive serious attention.   In recent years, she has won a series of major awards.  She was elected RSW in 1993 and RGI in 1999.

Among her awards have been travelling scholarships and travel has broadened her subject matter: the landscape and architecture of Morocco, Tunisia, Spain, Greece and Italy have become particular sources of inspiration.  Still Life and Scottish landscape also continue to feature in her work.

There is a love of texture in her painting with many layers of oil, watercolour, pastel and applied paper forming a sensuous surface that is almost tactile in its appeal. Her senses of colour and composition are also superb.

Winning the RGI Whisky Travel Award to Venice, Sienna and Florence was a major event in my life as a painter. I decided to use Japanese handmade paper to convey the rich colour and texture. My tastebuds for travel have been developed since 1996 and that award; I have enjoyed Tunisia, Greece, Spain and Morocco. Tunisia with its searing light, intriguing dark alleyways and fabulous colour was inspirational - but moving to Fife and building a studio looking out to the Fife Lomonds has also been very special whether the hills are dusted with snow or shrouded in mist they have a magical quality.

AWARDS

1999  Alexander Graham Munro Award, RSW

1996  Lily McDougall Award/Alva Computer Purchase Prize, SAAC

         Saltire Society Purchase Prize for RSA's Permanent Collection

         May Marshall Brown Award, RSW

1995  Whisky Travel Award, RGI 

PUBLIC COLLECTIONS

Perth Museum and Art Gallery

Advocates Library, Edinburgh

Saltire Society

Halifax Building Society

Aberdeen Education Authority