Ron Lawson

Ron Lawson was born in 1960.
Typical of many artists, as a child Ron would draw obsessively. Indeed as a teenager he would combine his interest in films and art by creating his own version of cinema posters.Having developed a portfolio of work, at the age of 16 he was offered a job in the art studio of DC Thomson, Dundee (publishers of newspapers, including the Sunday Post, magazines including the Beano, Oor Wullie, the Broons, Commando Comics, the People’s Friend, the Scots Magazine and Parragon books). Lawson worked within the organisation for 34 years before retiring in 2010 to concentrate on full time painting.
Lawson has always had a fascination for the Highlands and islands off the west coast of Scotland. He travels extensively to gather his material. His evocative studies capture the beauty and isolation of the various cottages and small farm holdings that populate Scotland. His scenes exemplify the greyness that we see so often in Scotland with the scale of his large skies reminding us of the peacefulness and remoteness.
Lawson creates interesting details within his compositions that create the personality/character, whether it is rocky outcrops, fence posts, stretches of water, sheep or thatched roofs. His cottages look worn and used, not pristine, adding to the credibility of his observations.
His cottages have a metaphorical quality – they are quiet, peaceful havens where your mind can escape to. We all yearn for that slowdown of life’s pace and for time away from the constant treadmill of working and living.
Lawson’s studies are delightful. It is very easy to understand why he is so popular across all age groups of art buyers. Having worked for so long in an industry (media) where the word or image has had to stimulate and entertain, he has learned to simplify his communication (in this case visual) giving us just enough information to enjoy and fill in the rest of the story (a moment of escapism) for ourselves.