Incident at Drumschuich Baths
John Gray's Edinburgh
Over the last few years John has been working on a series of large scale oil paintings of his native city. Each of the oil paintings is supported by drawings, water colours and prints. The subjects range from historical, as in the "Porteous Riot", the mythological as in "The Dance of the Apprentice", and the autobiographical memories of his own time in the city as in "Speedwalk Through the City" and "Time to Jump", to new interpretations of events like the Cowgate fire in "Cowgate Bickers".
Some of the paintings recreate the life and times of the city's more notorious citizens including Major Thomas Weir "The Wizard of the West Bow". In this painting John has created what the West Bow might have looked like at the time of its most sinister resident. Other characters of the City's dark history will be appearing in the series, including Bowed Joseph, Deacon Brodie, Queensbury House and Montrose in front of the Murray House on the way to the gallows.
In all these painings John combines his own experience as an Edinburgh resident with a keen interest in the history of the city. Although he was born in Greenock, he lived in Edinburgh from 1942 to 1963, and his father and grandfather were decendents of a long line of city residents. During the 19th and 20th centuries the family home was in the old town's Blackfriars Street, formally "Blackfriars Wynde" as it apears in "Cowgate Bickers". This series is a culmination of John's painting experience and is a great combination of artist, technique and subject.
Portious Riots 
Cowgate Bickers 1 
Cowgate Bickers 2
Wizard of the
Wizard of the 
Queensburry