SALTCOATS-BORN artist Michael Durning has won an award at the Royal Glasgow Institute of Fine Art’s (RGI) 153rd Annual Exhibition. 

The RGI’s historic show, which showcases the best of Scottish contemporary art, opened last weekend at The Mitchell Library with a huge exhibition of artists work from all over Britain and as far as the USA.

West Kilbride resident and former president of Paisley Art Institute (PAI), Michael Durning PAI RSW shares the top award of “The City of Glasgow College Art Foundation Purchase Prize” of £8000.

He chose to display a monumental image of Scotland’s industrial history with the famous ships, “Kyles and The Carrick”, so long a feature of Irvine Harbourside; side by side awaiting restoration at The Scottish Maritime Museum.

His painting shows the Clyde’s oldest ship, The Kyles, built on the banks of Paisley’s River Cart in 1876, by the ‘Clyde’s oldest shipbuilder’, John Fullerton who was also a president of Paisley Art Institute. The smaller iron boat is older than its neighbour the famous wooden clipper, The Carrick, now undergoing restoration in Australia.

The two ships have often appeared as evocative images and Durning has been painting them for 25 years, first winning a prize at the RGI with “The Carrick” as a student in 1994.

Michael’s painting will be placed in the City of Glasgow College’s growing contemporary art collection, and appropriately will be on permanent display in the newly built Maritime School.

He is presently exhibiting at the Barony Centre in West Kilbride until January 2017, alongside fellow artist residents, Sandy Murphy RSW RGI PAI, Jimmy Cosgrove PAI RSW RGI and Euan McGregor PAI.

The 153rd Royal Glasgow Institute Annual Exhibition at Mitchell Library opened on Saturday, November 12 and continues until Sunday, November 27 with opening times of Monday-Saturday from 9am-5pm and Sunday 12-4pm.