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William Birnie (18 March 1929 - 3 September 2006) was a Scottish painter.

Life
His father was William Birnie [Snr.] (1906 - 22 June 1981).

His mother was Christina Oliver Kerr (1907 - 30 January 1943) from Morningside, Edinburgh. William [Snr.] and Christina married in Bathgate in 1927.

William Birnie was born in Bathgate on 18 March 1929.

He married the artist Cynthia Isabell Wall (3 January 1929 - 24 December 2012) in Blythswood, Glasgow in 1954.

Art
https://www.panterandhall.com/collections/william-birnie-1929-2006

A student of Gilbert Spencer at Glasgow School of Art he went on two win a place a Hospitalfields where he studied under Ian Fleming. A distinguished career in art education followed, culminating in the post of Head Examiner for Art in Scotland. In 1958 he became a founder member of the Glasgow Group and formed the Glasgow Group Society of which he was vice-president for 32 years. He also served the Royal Scottish Watercolour Society as Vice President and Treasurer.

The artist William Birnie (1929-2006) moved to Rosehill house in Kilbarchan in 1958 with his wife, the artist Cynthia Wall (1929-2012). Bill often painted the changing seasons from his back garden as well as Renfrewshire landmarks and landscapes.

Death
https://www.heraldscotland.com/default_content/12428015.william-birnie/

THE death of Bill Birnie marks the end of a distinguished career in art and education. He studied at Glasgow School of Art under Gilbert Spencer and at Hospitalfield Art College under Ian Fleming. A talented student, he had the rare experience of having his work purchased by his tutors.

He joined the staff at Hyndland Secondary in 1952 when he was also elected member SSA. In 1958, he became founder member of the Glasgow Group and formed the Glasgow Group Society. He was vice-president for 32 years.

In 1965, he was elected as a member of the Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolour (RSW), of which he also became vice-president and treasurer.

He went on to be principal art teacher at Douglas Academy and later at Gryffe High. He was appointed head examiner in art by the Scottish Education Department. I recall tiptoeing guiltily with other senior examiners past Bill as we returned after an extended lunch hour. Bill's arched eyebrow was enough to ensure that we were on time in future.

He still managed to maintain an active exhibiting schedule, and showed in all the main public galleries and many of Scotland's best commercial galleries. His work was enthusiastically collected and increasingly sought-after. He was also elected to the Royal Glasgow Institute of Fine Arts (RGI) and Paisley Art Institute (PAI).

In his early years, he painted from his garden, showing the village of Kilbarchan in its changing seasons, under a quiet blanket of winter snow or framed in a blazing sunset through autumnal trees. In all his work, one sees the hand of man, the agricultural fields of Balfron, the village spires, the farms and harbours of Fife.

Later visits to France and Italy with his artist wife, Cynthia Wall, brought new subject matter, cafe scenes, vine groves, cliff-top villages, and the crumbling facades of palaces and churches of Venice. He was a lover of Italian culture: its wine, its food and its opera. When working in his studio, the background was generally filled with the sound of an early Schipa or De Stefano.

Of his own work, he said he needed the stimulus of the observed scene. Few artists observed better. Boats and palaces could have been rebuilt from his drawings.

Light shimmering on a surface infused all his work; light was his true motif and his response to light gave his work a consistency that was instantly recognisable.

It was characteristic of the man that when told that his illness was terminal, he calmly put his affairs in order and started work for a final oneman show at the Open Eye, the scene of so many of his successful shows.

Despite being able to work only one or two hours each day, he completed an exhibition of his favourite East Neuk. The exhibition contained some of his finest work and was a sell-out. Though weak, he was there to welcome many friends who came to the opening.

Bill's legacy from a painting career of more than 50 years will be in the collections of more than 1000 homes. He combined a poetic vision with a generosity of spirit and exceptional administrative gifts, all of which he shared readily with family colleagues and friends.

He is survived by his wife, Cynthia, his children, Celia, Graham and Gillian, and his six grandchildren.

Works
https://artuk.org/discover/artists/birnie-william-19292006

https://www.greatwesternauctions.com/catalogue/lot/76f8c9b495f93f382522403ca0826746/1d218e375ada81aa5eb1c29603603845/summer-two-day-fine-art-antiques-auction-lot-989/