Former Moray College student wins award at Edinburgh exhibition
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A FORMER Moray College student who changed careers to pursue her dream of becoming an artist has won an award at a prestigious exhibition in Edinburgh.
Susan Macintosh won an RSW Watermark Award at the Open Annual Exhibition of the Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolour (RSW) for her painting ‘Early Rain, North Uist’.
The show, currently at the Royal Scottish Academy building on Princes Street, Edinburgh, is the major showcase in Scotland for artists working in water-based media, including more than 300 paintings.
Susan was already celebrating, having been elected to membership of artist-led Scottish charity RSW in October, which includes some of the country’s top artists.
She said: “It was great to be admitted to membership, and winning a prize on top of that is fantastic. The RSW show is my favourite exhibition of the year, it’s really inspiring.
"I go around looking at lots of paintings and saying ‘I wish I’d painted that!’”
Susan, who graduated with a degree in Fine Art from Moray College 10 years ago, previously worked in interior design.
“I nearly went to art school when I left school, but the careers adviser said it wasn’t going to be a good idea," she said.
"Studying at UHI was very good, we had small classes and very good tutors.”
Three of Susan's large-scale paintings in the RSW exhibition are inspired by visits to the Western Isles.
She added: “I love going out to the islands, the light there is especially good, and working with watercolour is the ideal way to explore that.
“I like putting all my ideas in a painting, landscape, philosophy, how I feel, what the light’s doing, all in one place.”
The 142nd Open Annual Exhibition of the RSW is at the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh until February 16.
