Abigail McLellan
Curriculum Vitae
Abigail McLellan Chronology
1969
Born 11 July, Middlesbrough
1982
Moves to Dumfries in south-west Scotland
1987
Attends Glasgow School of Art, enters the Drawing and Painting Department in the second year of study.
1989
Spends the first term of the third year in the USA on a scholarship to Cincinnati University. From there visits Chicago.
1990
Spends July at the Cité Internationale Des Artes studios in Paris on the ‘Miller Homes Award’ with fellow student Louise McAtee.
In September is joint-winner of the John and Mabel Craig Bequest award from the Glasgow School of Art with the painting Forget Me Not Violet.
In November is a finalist in the White & Mackay Van Gogh self-portrait competition held at the Burrell collection Glasgow
1991
Graduates with a BA Hons in Fine Art
Exhibits Red And White Self Portrait at the National Scottish Portrait Exhibition in Edinburgh at the Royal Scottish Academy.
Takes part in New Generation at Art From The Billiard Room, Glasgow
1992
Has part-time job as sessional Arts Worker at Good Shepherd House in the east of Glasgow.
Gains a place on an ‘enterprise’ scheme for recent art’s graduates called Fuse offering studio space and support.
Takes part in Salon Glasgow at the Centre for Contemporary Arts
1993
Continues intermittent sessional work and invigilation jobs over the next few years as well as assisting Louise McAtee with mosaic murals in Health Centres in the east of Glasgow.
In January exhibits with fellow participants of Fuse at the Collins Gallery in Glasgow.
In July receives an Elizabeth Greenshields Award to fund continued painting.
In September wins third prize at the Singer & Friedlander Watercolour competition London
Exhibits for the first time at the Royal Glasgow Institute annual exhibition at the McLellan Galleries, Glasgow. Takes part in group shows at the Compass Gallery, Glasgow and the Demarco European Art Foundation, Edinburgh.
With three other artists takes on a sublet studio at WASPS in KIng St Glasgow.
Moves in to a flat in Partick with partner Alasdair Wallace.
1994
Exhibits in the Hunting/Observer Art Competition at the RCA London in February and at Kelvingrove Museum, Glasgow in April, as well as the Singer & Friedlander Watercolour competition in London, and at the RGI annual show.
1995
In June exhibits at the BP National Portrait Award at the National Portrait Gallery in London with the painting Lovers.
Also exhibits in the Society of Scottish Artists’ show at the Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh and again at the RGI in Glasgow and will continue to do regularly.
1996
In January takes part in a group show with five other Scottish artists at the Rebecca Hossack Gallery in Windmill Street London. The other artists are Helen Flockhart, Colin Johnstone, Peter Thomson, Alasdair Wallace and George Wyllie.
Exhibits Louise at the BP National Portrait Award at the National Portrait Gallery in London. The image is used to advertise the exhibition in magazines and posters displayed in the London Underground.
Receives a second Elizabeth Greenshields Award.
In November has her first solo show, Equilibria at the Rebecca Hossack Gallery in London, beginning a life-long relationship with the gallery.
1997
Moves with Alasdair Wallace to a flat in Govanhill on Glasgow’s southside.
Wins a purchase prize at Art Now at the Gracefield Arts Centre in her old home-town of Dumfries. Included again in the National Portrait competition with Rebecca And Matthew.
Is highly commended in the Morrison Scottish Portrait competition at the RSA, Edinburgh.
Has a painting in the finalists’ exhibition of the Noble Grossart Painting Prize at Glasgow School of Art.
A solo show of new work at the Samling Foundation at Dovenest, Windemere.
1998
Exhibits for the first time with the Open Eye Gallery in Edinburgh in a group show.
Again takes part in both the Noble Grossart Prize and the Hunting/Observer Art Prize exhibitions.
Second solo show at Rebecca Hossack Gallery Traceries.
1999
Travels with Wallace to New York City.
Solo show of recent paintings at the Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh
Selected to take part in Summertime, a survey show of WASPS artists at the Talbot Rice Gallery, University of Edinburgh.
Editions her first pair of screen-prints at the Glasgow Print Studio working with master-printmaker Norman Mathieson.
Shows the first symptoms of what will later be diagnosed as Multiple Sclerosis.
2000
Exhibits twice at Glasgow Print Studio in Publications 1996-Y2K and Painting In Scotland curated by Claire Henry.
Travels to Japan to walk sections of the Nakasendo Way.
On return travels to Dublin for the show Three Painters at Hallward Gallery with James Hanley and Alasdair Wallace.
Feels the effects of her worsening condition but continues to produce work for her third solo show, Recent Paintings, at the Rebecca Hossack Gallery.
2001
Moves to a ground floor flat in nearby Queen’s Park, Glasgow. Devotes much time and effort to making adaptations.
Determined to maintain independence she explores power-assisted modes of transport such as recumbent tricycles.
2002
In May undertakes a residency at the Cromarty Arts Trust on The Black Isle.
Included in an exhibition from London’s Fleming Collection which tours to Kirkudbright.
Represented in Thirty Years Of Printmaking, a survey of Glasgow Print Studio’s output at Kelvingrove Museum, Glasgow.
Fourth solo show, Kimono at the Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London.
2003
Increasingly affected by fatigue and reduced mobility her work rate is slow but steady.
Learns to drive using a car adapted with hand controls.
2004
Fifth solo show at the Rebecca Hossack Gallery, Dimensions, showing a renewed interest in sculpture made using her recently devised technique of melting layers of acrylic felt.
2005
Pursues further sculptural developments and begins casting her work in bronze at Powderhall Bronze foundry in Edinburgh.
Has a solo show of paintings and sculptures at the Open Eye Gallery in Edinburgh.
Deterioration in her condition prompts a move to a different WASPS studio building in Dennistoun Glasgow, with facilities and access for the disabled.
Begins series of interviews for the ‘Artists’ Lives’ oral history project by the British Library.
2006
Has sixth solo show, Paintings and Semi-Reliefs at the Rebecca Hossack Gallery in Charlotte Street, London.
2007
Hires first part-time studio assistant with the help of the government’s Access To Work scheme.
Begins work on another small and another medium-sized sea fan sculpture to be editioned in bronze.
2008
Exhibits at the Royal Glasgow Institute and receives the City Sites Estate Award.
Experiments with ‘molecule’ sculptures in wood and polystyrene.
Begins experiments in glass sculpture.
2009
Has seventh and final solo exhibition, Flowers And Molecules at the Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London.
Acquires a commercial vinyl cutter and begins to produce paintings made using stencils.
In September develops pneumonia but makes a good recovery after a week in hospital
One of the first stencil paintings is exhibited at the Royal Glasgow Institute in October.
Dies on the 11 October at the Victoria Infirmary, Glasgow.