A young artist from Glasgow has been awarded a £3,000 travel bursary from one of Scotland's major artist-run societies for painting on wrapping paper.

Chloe Colquhoun, 21, has been named as the winner of the Alexander Graham Munro Travelling Scholarship at the 139th Annual Open Exhibition of the Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolour.

Chloe, who has recently graduated from City of Glasgow College’s BA in Contemporary Art Practice, painted her winning work using acrylic paint on brown packing paper.

Chloe said she was 'over the moon' to win. “I was happy just to be shortlisted" she said. "I’m probably the youngest artist in the RSW exhibition, so I’m gobsmacked really. It’s an amazing opportunity.”

She said her abstract painting, ‘Out of Sight, Out of Mind’ is about the people who fall between the cracks in contemporary society.

“The concept is about under-represented groups in Western society and encouraging people to look past the obvious. It’s about pushing people to get out of their comfort zones and look at what’s under the surface.

“I haven’t decided where I’d like to go yet. Because of the kinds of things I like to look at, I’m thinking about Australia or maybe New York.”

Chloe was one of three recent graduates who have won awards at the RSW 139th Annual Open Exhibition, which is on at the RSA in Edinburgh (in the Lower Galleries) until January 30.

Glasgow Times:

The RSW supports emerging artists by visiting degree shows at art schools and colleges and inviting students with an interest in water-based media to submit work for their prestigious annual exhibition. Alongside the three winning artists, the exhibition will features more than 100 artists, including some of the top painters in Scotland.

Jim Dunbar, president of the Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolour said: “It’s very important for us to let students know that we exist and that we are keen to support and encourage graduates working in water-based media.

“By inviting them to be part of our exhibitions, we can show how young artists are experimenting with these media and taking them in new directions.”

He added: “The Alexander Graham Munro Travelling Scholarship is a major award open to artists under the age of 30. It offers a tremendous opportunity for the winning graduate to choose their own topic of study and to use the funding to travel and further develop their skills.

Atticus Tayar, 24, who graduated from Glasgow School of Art in summer 2019, was selected as the winner of the RSW New Graduate Award for his painting, ‘Birch Trees in Winter’.

“I’m really happy to be in this show, it’s a great opportunity" he said. "It’s great to see my work alongside so many other artists, it’s a real boost after finishing at GSA.”