Christmas gift guide: artful giving ideas

Mists at High Tide, Loch Moidart by Linda Clark

If you’re looking for a truly unique Christmas gift – even if it’s just a present for yourself – then it’s hard to see beyond a work of art.Quite aside from the genuinely distinctive nature of an original piece, you can be assured of acquiring something that will appreciate – and be appreciated – for years to come.

The Strathearn Gallery in Crieff and the Annan Gallery in Glasgow have for years showcased the very best of Scottish contemporary art.

Now both galleries have just launched their annual winter exhibitions.

These shows, running until the beginning of February, are celebrating the end of the year and the start of 2024 with one of the largest collections of new art from some of the best artists working today.

The galleries are owned by husband-and-wife team Scott and Susan Bennett, and together they are proud to offer an impressive selection of original paintings, glass, ceramics and sculpture.

The Strathearn Gallery was established in 1994 and taken on by Scott and Susan in 2013, when they moved back to Scotland after leaving corporate roles in London.

The Strathearn Gallery – already firmly established at the time – has grown to be one of the largest in Scotland. It works in conjunction with many of today’s most important artists, and it enjoys a worldwide client base.

Scott and Susan took on the Annan Gallery on Woodlands Road in Glasgow’s leafy West End in 2017.

The couple wanted a big city venue to build on the rich artistic traditions of the Annan brand.

The gallery’s history and tradition stretches back 150 years and, as a major cultural institution, has promoted the major Scottish art movements and their most prominent proponents.

The work of Cecilia Cardiff – whose Material Girl is pictured above –carries on the spirit and vibrancy found in the groundbreaking works of the Scottish Colourists.

Cecilia returned to Glasgow’s art scene to work as a designer and artist after studying in London during the 1980s. She regularly exhibits at The Royal Glasgow Institute and has been pre-selected for the prestigious Royal Institute of Oil Painters in London.

Cecilia’s art takes inspiration from Colourists such as Francis Campbell Boileau Cadell and John Duncan Fergusson. Her work has caught the eye of actor John Barrowman, who owns several of her pieces.

Both the Annan and the Strathearn galleries participate in the “Own Art” scheme – an initiative backed by Creative Scotland – which can offer zero per cent finance on certain purchases. That’s a gift in itself!