TWO West Kilbride artists have been honoured after picking up awards at a prestigious ceremony in Edinburgh earlier this month.

Sandy Murphy RSW and John Ferry, who both live in West Kilbride, won awards at the 136th Annual Exhibition of the Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolour which opened at the Royal Scottish Academy Building in Edinburgh on Monday, January 9.

Sandy Murphy RSW won the Fabriano Residency award. He has won many awards and this is his second from the RSW, he won the £500 May Marshall Brown Award in 2005.

He is a graduate of Glasgow School of Art and has held solo exhibitions regularly since 1986, participating in group exhibitions across the UK. 
He has been elected a member of the Royal Glasgow Institute, Paisley Art Institute and the Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolour.

John Ferry won the RSW Watermark Award for his painting ‘Shadow’.
He said: “This is one of a series of 69 works titled ‘Bending The Light’. These works were created over three months in early 2015 and explore light within the darkness.

“I am delighted to receive this award.”

He graduated from Glasgow School of Art in 1985 and exhibits regularly, including the Royal Scottish Academy and Royal Glasgow Institute open exhibitions.

The exhibition is open until January 28. It features over 120 new paintings by both established and emerging artists from across Scotland including works by new graduates from the 2016 Degree Shows and invited American artists Bruce Bobick and Mark E Mehaffey.

There is a free programme of artist demonstrations at weekends while the exhibition runs.