Brian Keany
Encyclopedia
Brian Keany, RSW, DA (Edin) (1945 – February 2007) was a Scottish
painter and teacher, who was elected as a member of The Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolour
.
Keany was born in Forfar
in 1945, and grew up in Brechin
. He studied at Edinburgh College of Art
in the 1960s, under Sir William Gillies, John Houston, Elizabeth Blackadder
and Robin Philipson
.
Following graduation, Keany taught art at St Andrew's High School in Kirkcaldy
, and he continued to teach there until taking early retirement in 2001.
He worked in many media; in 1977 he was elected as a member of The Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolour (RSW), and he was equally at home producing paintings in oils. He was also commissioned to design a large tapestry for the Dunfermline Carnegie Trust in Fife
, which is now permanently on display in Dunfermline
.
Keany exhibited in a number of group shows at galleries across Scotland, including Colours Gallery and the Torrance Gallery in Edinburgh
, Roger Billcliffe Fine Art in Glasgow
, the Aberfeldy Gallery, the Jerdan Gallery in Crail and the Stenton Gallery. He exhibited regularly in the Royal Scottish Academy
, the Royal Glasgow Institute of Fine Arts, and annually in the RSW, where he twice served on the council.
Keany’s subject matter was diverse. He painted still life, marine paintings and Scottish and French landscapes. His work now hangs in collections in the UK, US, South Africa, Éire, The Netherlands and Australia.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
painter and teacher, who was elected as a member of The Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolour
The Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolour
The Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolours is a Scottish organisation of painters.It was founded in 1876, with the support of the Royal Scottish Academy, by artists to "promote, through exhibition, the medium of watercolour and encourage the bold, free and colourful qualities of...
.
Keany was born in Forfar
Forfar
Forfar is a parish, town and former royal burgh of approximately 13,500 people in Angus, located in the East Central Lowlands of Scotland. Forfar is the county town of Angus, which was officially known as Forfarshire from the 18th century until 1929, when the ancient name was reinstated, and...
in 1945, and grew up in Brechin
Brechin
Brechin is a former royal burgh in Angus, Scotland. Traditionally Brechin is often described as a city because of its cathedral and its status as the seat of a pre-Reformation Roman Catholic diocese , but that status has not been officially recognised in the modern era...
. He studied at Edinburgh College of Art
Edinburgh College of Art
Edinburgh College of Art is an art school in Edinburgh, Scotland, providing tertiary education in art and design disciplines for over two thousand students....
in the 1960s, under Sir William Gillies, John Houston, Elizabeth Blackadder
Elizabeth Blackadder
Dame Elizabeth Violet Blackadder, DBE, RA, RSA is a Scottish painter and printmaker. She is the first woman to be elected to both the Royal Scottish Academy and the Royal Academy....
and Robin Philipson
Robin Philipson
Sir Robin Philipson was a Lancashire-born painter who was influential within the Scottish art scene for over three decades.Philipson was born in Broughton-in-Furness and moved to Scotland with his family when he was 14...
.
Following graduation, Keany taught art at St Andrew's High School in Kirkcaldy
Kirkcaldy
Kirkcaldy is a town and former royal burgh in Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. The town lies on a shallow bay on the northern shore of the Firth of Forth; SSE of Glenrothes, ENE of Dunfermline, WSW of Dundee and NNE of Edinburgh...
, and he continued to teach there until taking early retirement in 2001.
He worked in many media; in 1977 he was elected as a member of The Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolour (RSW), and he was equally at home producing paintings in oils. He was also commissioned to design a large tapestry for the Dunfermline Carnegie Trust in Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
, which is now permanently on display in Dunfermline
Dunfermline
Dunfermline is a town and former Royal Burgh in Fife, Scotland, on high ground from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. According to a 2008 estimate, Dunfermline has a population of 46,430, making it the second-biggest settlement in Fife. Part of the town's name comes from the Gaelic word...
.
Keany exhibited in a number of group shows at galleries across Scotland, including Colours Gallery and the Torrance Gallery in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Roger Billcliffe Fine Art in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, the Aberfeldy Gallery, the Jerdan Gallery in Crail and the Stenton Gallery. He exhibited regularly in the Royal Scottish Academy
Royal Scottish Academy
The Royal Scottish Academy is a Scottish organisation that promotes contemporary Scottish art. Founded in 1826, as the Royal Institution for the Encouragement of the Fine Arts, the RSA maintains a unique position in Scotland as an independently funded institution led by eminent artists and...
, the Royal Glasgow Institute of Fine Arts, and annually in the RSW, where he twice served on the council.
Keany’s subject matter was diverse. He painted still life, marine paintings and Scottish and French landscapes. His work now hangs in collections in the UK, US, South Africa, Éire, The Netherlands and Australia.