Haulier Graham Allison's friendship with artist James
McDonald has been mutually enriching. Clare Henry
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.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article