A NEW collection of artwork by Billy Connolly will be exhibited at a Glasgow gallery, starting this week.
The third instalment of the Born On A Rainy Day series, which he first launched in 2012, will be available to view at Castle Fine Art on Queen Street from November 16-30.
Nicola Duffy, gallery manager at Castle Fine Art, Glasgow, said: “Billy Connolly is a true national treasure and we couldn’t feel more privileged to exhibit his work here in Glasgow.
“Billy’s artwork has a unique, humorous charm which has always been hugely popular with his fans, and we can’t wait to welcome them back to the gallery to view the latest collection.”
The collection features a selection of original ink drawings and limited edition prints signed by the award-winning Scottish actor, comedian and musician.
The name, Born On A Rainy Day, arose after Connolly was in Montreal on a very cold, rainy day. He bought some pens and a sketchbook and began to draw, initially drawing desert islands, but soon branching out to repeat, experiment, and refine his ideas.
Speaking about his artwork, Connolly said: “My art bears no relation to comedy or music. It is pure and unjudged and I am creating for myself.
“It is personal and private, whereas with a film, comedy show or music you expect people to be critiquing, watching, assessing. Art is different – it liberates you.”
Connolly’s first drawings received critical acclaim and were highly sought after by fans and collectors. His second instalment came a year later and showed experimentation with composition and colour.
The star says each of his images becomes “whatever it is destined to become”. His creative process is said to mirror the Surrealist automatism movement, whereby the artist allows the hand to move randomly across the paper or canvas without intent to create anything specifically.
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