AN ARTIST has donated his Colourist skills to two of Scotland's leading cancer hospitals.

Archie Forrest, from and based in Glasgow, has created wall murals and art works for the new Lanarkshire Beatson, which opens in November, and the existing Beatson at Gartnavel.

The colourful depictions of flowers will be displayed as mural designs in both hospitals, presented as part of the walls rather than hanging as discreet paintings.

He said: "I thought it might take three or four weeks but it has taken three or four months to do, I have been working with the hospital to see what they did want and what they didn't want.

"For me it is all about providing some kind of respite for people there, a place where you can go to have respite from what is there - we thought about having the art as part of the walls, so that is the route that we took.

"It maybe makes the walls there less clinical, and place where people can have a rest and maybe a wee blether."

A spokeswoman for the charity said: "Archie is passionate about the importance of art therapy in a hospital setting and has done so much for the charity."

Born in Glasgow in 1950, Forrest attended Glasgow School of Art between 1969 and 1973 prior to becoming a tutor there for seven years.

In 1985, he gave up his teaching so that he could devote his time to painting.

Forrest was elected a Member of the Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts in 1988 and has been a regular exhibitor there and at the Royal Scottish Academy since 1975.

He has won several awards for both his painting and sculpture.

His work is influenced by the Scottish Colourists such as Peploe and Cadell but also Matisse, Soutine and Cezanne.

The artist has donated his time and art to the Beatson Cancer Charity for free.

The charity is aiming to raise £500,000 to add to the new state-of-the-art radiotherapy treatment centre at the new Lanarkshire Beatson, a new £22 million Satellite Radiotherapy Centre at Monklands Hospital, Airdrie.