JIM Porteous Wood, the prolific Scottish artist, has died in Fort William at the age of 85.

James Porteous Wood had a brilliant international career as an artist and designer. He will be noted for his huge innovation and versatility which included landscapes, portraits and calligraphy and designs from architecture to jewellery. He was the Royal Scottish Watercolour Society's oldest exhibiting member, and when elected an RSW aged 26 in 1945 he was also the youngest ever to be elected. He was a Brother of the Art Workers' Guild. He exhibited at the Royal Scottish Academy and the Guildhall art gallery and Royal Academy in London. A coffee pot he designed is a permanent exhibit at the United Nations HQ in New York.

The Royal Appointment gold and silversmiths, Asprey of Bond Street, persuaded him to join them in London in 1956. As their director of art and design for 25 years, he produced numerous architectural and interior decoration perspective paintings, often conceived from architectural plans, of palaces in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Thailand, Morocco and the US (UN HQ) , always visiting the sites to ensure their sympathy with their surroundings. He designed silver/gold dinner services and objets d'art in 3D drawings, contrary to usual practice of plans and elevations.

A notable commission was of a large gold rose bowl which was presented to President Eisenhower. He also designed furniture and race trophies, and was the first person to present the Guinness harp in three dimensions. Following on from the Faberge tradition, he designed statues of wild birds made in gold and semi-precious hardstone, carefully selected for their evocation of the creature or its terrain.

In 1982, after having left Aspreys, he was invited by King Hassan II to design a centre piece for the table of the Islamic conference. It depicted Jerusalem's Dome of the Rock and was reputedly the largest (175cms diameter) and most important piece of silver, enamel and fine engraving exported from the UK.

He painted numerous Scottish landscapes, which he enjoyed doing most, as well as portraits. His cityscapes included London, New York and Paris, of which he was particularly fond. His fine calligraphy included illuminated manuscripts on vellum, such as large genealogical trees of titled families showing all the arms with burnished gold.

During the Second World War, he was part of the design team at the Royal Engineers in Ripon, North Yorkshire, for the portable Bailey bridge, and made maps from photographs of enemy territory. Both will undoubtedly have saved many lives, but with characteristic modesty, he never spoke about this vital work.

He returned to live in Ripon, where he was a freelance artist and designer, and most of his commissions came from either Scotland or London. During this period his drawing of the Queen's Coronation in Westminster Abbey in 1953 was published the following morning as the complete front page in the national press. Every fortnight for seven years the Birmingham Post featured one of his large drawings they had commissioned, mostly public schools and major industrial subjects within 50 miles of Birmingham. Much of his work was of book illustrations.

His past 25 years were spent at his beloved Arisaig, where his studio had magnificent views of Rhum and Eigg. He worked prodigiously until shortly before his death, producing many evocative seascapes, landscapes and portraits. His paintings were exhibited in the Royal Academy, Royal Scottish Academy, Royal Scottish Water Society.

With his billowing pipe and quickwit, he was a familiar and much-loved character in Lochaber. He sponsored an annual art prize for Mallaig High School to encourage young talent. When asked when he would retire, he answered defiantly: "I will never retire."And he never did.

He married Margaret Porteous Wood (nee McCombie) in 1946. They honeymooned in Arisaig, and even then he spent most of the time painting, while his new wife looked on with characteristic patience. The house where they stayed then was within sight of the shoreside house they designed together 30 years later.

He is survived by his widow, Margaret, and son Keith.

James Porteous Wood; born September 12, 1919, died April 19, 2005.