Gavin Johnston

As Gavin spent much of his working life in the countryside it was not surprising that he was to set aside monochrome etchings for colourful images drawn from nature. His typical practice is based on stone lithography with screen printing for detail. Having a strong interest in woodlands, many of his images are drawn from that environment.

By way of a challenge, he has now shown an enthusiasm for relief printmaking.

BIOGRAPHY

Born in Falkirk in 1950, Gavin Johnston is a self-taught artist. He studied rural estate management and worked as a valuation surveyor until 2010. Presently he spends much of his time practising artwork.

Keen on pencil drawing from an early age he joined Edinburgh Printmakers in 1985. An early influence was a Scottish Arts Council exhibition of prints by Albrecht Durer. That show in the mid 1980's gave him the notion to take up etching. Essentially Gavin is a landscape artist who was taught the basics of etching by a prominent German artist.

The Society of Scottish Artists selected one of his aquatint prints both for their 99^th Annual Exhibition in RSA and again in 2014. Two of his Lepidoptera series prints were hung at “Insectarium” the SSA exhibition at Waterston House, Aberlady during June 2021. Edinburgh Printmakers have selected his work on many occasions for their exhibitions and in 2012 he took part in a mixed print show in The Scottish Arts Club. In April 2014 he had a solo exhibition titled “Holyrood Park” at The Story Telling Centre and the following year he had another solo exhibition in Penicuik titled “Isle of Lewis”.