A road travelled in harmony

views his impressive collection

GRAHAME Allison, managing director of A. M. Transport, used to joke

with his pal James McDonald in the pub in the early eighties: ''One of

these days, when I get my new offices, I'll be after you for a

commission!'' But when Allison's road-haulage and distribution business

with its fleet of 32 giant articulated vehicles moved from Shotts via

Bonnybridge to its 43,000 sq. ft. warehouse base at Blairlinn Estate,

Cumbernauld, he did better than keep his word. The result was 14

pictures for starters for the office -- and the beginnings of a

collection which has quickly spread not only around the boardroom and

reception foyer but spilled over into his home.

Friendship with one artist opened the door to an interest in others.

''We had bought the occasional conventional picture while on holiday in

Skye or Yorkshire -- even a batik from Barbados: usually landscapes,

flower or animal studies like Daisy Budge's rather nice Otters. But Jim

introduced us to his friends, like Neil Macpherson and Lesley Banks. I

started going to local galleries: Glasgow Print Studio, Compass,

Cormund, Barbizon, Stirling's Allan Park, or the Blue Roof Gallery at

Fintry. It grew from there.''

Allison likes strong detailed realism. Isabelle, his wife, says: ''I'm

more flowery and colourful. I like our Anne Gordon Irises and James

Orr's rich red poppies in the hall. They're easy on the eye.'' They both

like Anne Anderson's work, Sue Mackechnie's pink satin shoes and an

uncharacteristic pale greeny blue Tom Shanks of the Cullins. Allison

admits: ''Some of my office pictures are not Isabelle's taste!''

Their earliest McDonald is straightforward: a 1983 pencil drawing of

Ben, their old black labrador. In 1991 Ben was painted in oils. ''Jim

caught him really well.'' McDonald reminisces: ''At the start Grahame

kept on at me to paint his horses too but I didn't want to. He's got a

beautiful wife. I fancied painting her -- but he never let me! I painted

their garden instead.'' (McDonald's portraiture talents are currently

employed painting artist friends like Macpherson and Peter Howson.)

A new, very successful commission is a still life relating to

Allison's personal fascination with the Scottish Wars of Independence,

especially the battles of Falkirk and Bannockburn. ''I live on Gillies

Hill overlooking the Bannockburn battlefield. We can see Stirling Castle

and the Bruce Monument. It's all there on the doorstep. Jim came to the

house and we planned it together. It's nice to have a picture you've

helped create. I went through all my history textbooks. He had a wee bit

of paper, scribbled and fiddled about -- and stuck to that composition!

I'm very pleased with the painting. He's included manuscripts and books

chronicling the wars; the Treaty of Arbroath, a head of Bruce, the

Scottish seal, pike heads and caltrops. These are metal star-shaped

spikes scattered on the ground to maim the English horses -- forerunners

of mines and cluster bombs! It's inscribed I Have Brought Zowe to the

Ryng, which is what Wallace said to rally his troops in 1298.'' Allison

is now doing a part-time history degree at Stirling. In between his job,

his kids, the horses, and collecting.

The original 1986/7 commissions included traditional still-life oils

of fruit and flowers (''the bananas and apples are so lifelike, some

folk think it's a photo'') alongside more unusual images, like a pile of

huge black tyres. ''I thought we should have some pictures relating to

work. Bridgestone/Firestone are one of our longest-established

customers.'' (Allison set up A. M. Transport in 1974, aged 19. With no

money for trucks he worked as a transport broker until he could afford

his first transit van.) ''Jim's Earthmovers painting is extraordinary.

Popular too! I asked him to do another version of the tyres to send to

Firestone's headquarters, so that one hangs in Tokyo. I think the

commissions came at a good time for Jim. He was just getting started as

a full-time painter.''

McDonald is now well-known in London and beyond, but he acknowledges

Allison's vital early encouragement. ''He's supported me in more ways

than one. He's a true enthusiast. The help is not just financial.''

First sponsorship aided McDonald's 1986 debut at Glasgow's Main Fine

Art. Subsequent help provided colour invitations for McDonald's 1989

Glasgow Print Studio show where Allison bought one of McDonald's book

oils, Regular Attendance, and his 1991 Cormund exhibition where he

acquired Underwood Typewriter. ''At the beginning I didn't like his

books because they were so dull colourwise, but gradually he's built up

the tones.''

While A. M. Transport sports pictures by Wiesznieski, Macpherson (two

of his best, says Jim), Donald McLeod (''the show sold out because it

was reasonably priced''), Mulholland, Murray Robertson, Banks -- and

brand-new at Christmas -- Ann Weddle's dramatic shadow Storm Study

self-portrait, the house has a unique inventory of this private

collection.

It takes the form of 19 miniatures; reproductions of McDonald's choice

imagery: lawnmower, blow-torch, whistles (now in the BBC Collection),

apples, even an art-school figure from 1975 -- plus his favourite

paintings (Fantin Latour, Macpherson's Shepherd, a Dutch oil), all

accompanied by a personal text describing each one. Thus: ''Nightbeat;

January 1988 at Millhall Farm, my grandmother brought out these police

whistles for me to draw. Cheese, in my wee sister's collection --

swopped for a pure wool barathea blazer. Carburettor: this engine was a

bit of a challenge. These things are filthy, smelly, greasy, and fairly

complicated. I twin them with their exact satin opposites in sincere

expressions of love and hate.''

Allison gets a kick out of collecting and believes in sharing his

passion. He's loaned to local schools, invited kids to visit his

premises, and arranged for some artists to talk to classes about their

work. ''By chance it transpired that Lesley Banks was a former pupil at

Denny High School. I didn't know -- but everyone was thrilled.'' There

is, it seems, no gap in the art forms of haulage distribution and and

collecting!

TIP OF THE WEEK

* Allison emphases the advantage of buying originals. ''It costs

almost as much to frame a bit of wrapping paper as to buy an original

etching. People do it out of ignorance. Art shouldn't just be the domain

of the wealthy. And the best way is to start buying locally.'' McDonald

features at Roger Billcliffe Fine Art this Mayfest.