Fiona’s a winner by design

Jun 27 2008 by Alison Anderson

FIONA Turnbull from the Kinnoull area of Perth, a student at Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen, has won a Royal Scottish Academy prize in her graduating year.

Fiona (22), who attended Errol Primary School and Perth High School before moving to Aberdeen to continue her studies, has excelled in graduating from Gray’s with a BA (Hons) in Painting.

Amazingly, Fiona chose to study at Gray’s almost by accident when she accompanied her sister, Jennifer, to an open day at The Robert Gordon University’s Faculty of Health and Social Care.

Having already considered applying for art school, Fiona was impressed by the relaxed and spacious surroundings of RGU’s Garthdee campus, which hosts both schools. The campus also had a great influence on her artwork as she sees her inspirations as the relationship between space and place.

Fiona says she wants to continue with her art in the future and her dream is to become a full-time practising artist, although she says her first priority after graduating is to “have some fun next year.” She has already gone some way to achieving that success by winning the Robert Duncan Memorial Prize from the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh for her work “Extension of a Presence.”

Fiona specialises in large abstract paintings which she paints either on the floor or, with the particularly large pieces, with the help of a step ladder. Her main influences have been the successful New York artist Ross Bleckner and German-born Daniel Richter – both of whose success she aims to emulate.