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Dan Ferguson
Dan Ferguson
Born	23 April 1910; Motherwell, Scotland
Died	8 May 1992 (aged 82); Law, Scotland
Nationality	Scottish

Dan Ferguson (1910 - July 1992) was a Scottish painter.^[1]

Life

His mother was Young.

Dan Ferguson was born in 1910 in Motherwell.

He was the brother of the artist Roy Young Ferguson.^[2]

Art

ONE was little. One was large. Both painted, wrote, and taught. Dan and Roy, the admirable Ferguson brothers of Motherwell, are celebrated in a little exhibition in the town's Heritage Centre. As painters they were both accomplished but very different in style, despite common schooling at Dalziel High and Glasgow School of Art, from which Roy graduated in 1932, and Dan in 1934.

Dan had another string to his artistic bow as a professional band leader and conductor, in Glasgow and Arbroath, from his graduation until 1940. It would be fascinating to link exuberant music-making and his meticulous and somewhat withdrawn oil studies of women and still lives. The connection is, alas, not obvious. There is a touch of the green lady about some of his girls, though the one with the daisy chain in her hair is memorable. His flower studies have an almost repellent precision.

None the less, his talents were appreciated in their day. Head teacher of art at Airdrie Academy from 1955, Dan exhibited regularly at the RSA from 1946 to 1980. He was also a script writer for the Scottish Schools Service and Children's Hour and adapted stage plays for the BBC's Overseas Service.

The watercolours of his older sibling have more general appeal. Roy had a lovely way with the medium, using it with spontaneity and freedom, whether for landscapes or buildings. His tree studies are covetable. He had the ability to imply receding views, with blobs of trees in the foreground giving way to hazy distances. One particularly charming picture shows corn stooks under snow, looking for all the world like iced dumplings.

Roy, too, exhibited at the RSA - in his case for four decades. His talents were also recognised by a Silver Medal from the Paris Salon in 1952. Roy had yet another claim to fame, for he contributed no fewer than 15 poems to The Herald's old Weekend Pages, many reflecting his love of nature. Somehow he also managed to find time to write ornithological notes and draw cartoons for two other Scottish newspapers and produce two collections of poems.

Photographs of the two show Dan as a tall, austere, square-jawed figure, and Roy, with his strong features and penetrating eyes, absorbed in a painting. Both exude a seriousness befitting their formidable talents. Roy Ferguson died in 1984 and Dan in 1992. This enjoyable display of their art runs until February 22.