Ian Elliot: Scottish Artist 1946-2021

It was with great sadness that we learned of Ian Elliot's passing in July of 2021. We have shown Ian's paintings here at Galleria Luti continually since we opened in 2006 (having been fans of his art for many years before that) and his consistently high standard of work has been appreciated by many of our visitors. We have been working with Ian's family and closest friends and are incredibly honoured to be able to continue to represent his work by exhibiting paintings from Ian's studio collection.

Ian's work is highly distinctive, often following a similar format with a heavily textured crop field in the foreground leading the eye towards the upper mid line with trees and architectural structures (often Italian based with terracotta rooftop villas), leading off to the distant, misty hills in the background.

Even with this familiar compositional formula, each painting has its own personality and individuality to it. You can often tell at first glance if a painting is Scottish or continental European based on the colourings and structural form of the buildings in the picture.

Ian spent much of his time painting abroad and his love of continental Europe is apparent in the many paintings he did of Italy, Spain and France amongst others.

Of course, with 40+ years of painting and art teaching under his belt, Ian not only undertook landscape scenes but also covered a wide range of additional subject matter, with nautical themes, bustling market places and beach scenes featuring regularly in his repertoire.

Many of Ian's paintings also portray Scotland, often with cooler tones used throughout the pieces, perhaps in a subtle nod to the climatic differences between Scottish summers and those of the warmer climates of his other favourite destinations.

Sometimes, Ian would surprise me with something completely different like a painting of flameco dresses! One of my personal favourite paintings that Ian showed with us was a still-life entitled 'The Artist's Studio' which had not only a beautiful still life composition in the foreground of fruit and papers but also behind the table there was an entire Ian Elliot painting up on an easel - a painting in a painting!! Just perfect.

I think Ian's work has a timeless quality to it.... and I believe they will be as relevant in 50 years time as they are today. A technically gifted, and emotive painter, Ian Elliot's passing will prove a massive loss to the contemporary art scene in Scotland.