Moray artist shortlisted in global contest
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Success is arriving late in life for a New York born artist who's lived in Moray for the past 30 years.
Randy Klinger says he doesn't care for fashions or trends.
Instead, the 66-year-old takes his inspiration from the technical skills of the Old Masters of the Italian and Dutch Renaissances, such as Leonardo da Vinci and Johannes Vermeer.
But that's not stopped him from just being shortlisted for the Derwent prize, one of the world's top contemporary competitions for drawing.
Now in its sixth year, the contest received submissions by 2325 artists from 43 different countries.
As a result of being shortlisted, two of Randy's artworks will be amongst the 72 going on display from Thursday at the Oxo Tower Wharf in London.
The upshot of this is that he's now in with a shot of winning the overall prize.
Being shortlisted is just one example of the public recognition coming his way.
Later this year Randy has international exhibitions lined up in New York, Florence and The Hague.
Added to that, one of New York's top galleries has also begun talks about displaying his work.
It's been a long journey for a man who, at the age of seven, describes himself as having had "an aesthetic orgasm".
He says: "That was when I first realised how beautiful the world was.
"It was completely life changing, and my goal ever since has been to capture and communicate that beauty."
Randy founded the Moray Arts Centre at Findhorn in 1997 after raising £1million for its construction.
From there he went on to run the centre for seven years before eventually taking a back seat on its board.
He's since stepped away completely, and for the past seven years has devoted himself to drawing full-time.
"I draw every day, seven days a week," he says. "If I don't I find myself becoming angsty."
This drawing of Randy's daughter Esther is one of two which will be on display in London.
It took him a month to complete as he sought to capture details such as the texture of her dressing gown.
Randy adds that he's always had a mentor.
He recalls: "One of my school teachers advised me to always go straight to the top because the people still climbing are usually too busy to help you.
"So in America that person was Dore Ashton, who was the senior art critic on the New York Times.
"And when I first arrived in Britain I rang up Ernst Gombrich, who was the world's most significant writer about art at the time.
"For the last 12 years of his life I was in regular contact with him.
"I also read everything he wrote and it helped me re-evaluate what I was doing.
"Back then I used to paint and I suppose my work was what you might call impressionistic.
"But I wanted to start capturing more of the small details – and drawing enables me to do that.
"My work might be in black and white now but I still try to somehow suggest the colours.
"It's a bigger challenge but that's what I enjoy."
You don't have to go abroad or travel down to London to view Randy's drawings.
A solo exhibition will be taking place at Eden Court in Inverness throughout March from 10am-9pm every day.
Another is planned throughout April at the Moray Arts Centre in Findhorn.
Meanwhile the month of July will see his drawings displayed at the Nairn Community & Arts Centre.
The winner of the Derwent prize will partly be decided by a public vote between now and March 6, which is the last day of the exhibition at the Oxo Tower Wharf.
Support Randy as well as view all of the entries including his two HERE
