Sinclair Thomson
Sinclair Thomson (25 December 1915 – 24 July 1983) was a Scottish painter, born in Glasgow, Scotland. He won the Guthrie Award in 1948 with his work, the oil painting The White Shawl.

Life

Sinclair Thomson was born in 1915 in Govanhill, Glasgow. 

His father was Donald Thomson (20 December 1878 - 25 July 1952) and his mother was Diana Sinclair Sutherland (2 May 1879 - 3 July 1947). They married in Lanark in 1904. They had 4 sons, including Sinclair; and 1 daughter Diana who unfortunately did not survive infancy.

Thomson went to school at Allan Glen's School then at Townhead in the city of Glasgow. While there he suffered a rugby injury, injuring his knee, which led to the amputation of his leg at the age of 16.

During the Second World War he became a dispatch rider for the Civil Defence, as he remained able to ride a motorbike. His triggered his lifelong love of motorbikes.

He became a teacher in the High School of Glasgow; and soon started teaching evening classes in pottery at the Glasgow School of Art.

Thomson married Florence Mary Jamieson (17 November 1925 - 9 December 2019) in 1946. They had one daughter.

Florence was also a painter. They divorced in 1962.

He married again in 1966. This was to Barbara Joan Ellen Carter (11 July 1923 - 19 March 2017), who like Thomson had been previously married. Barbara was previously one of Thomson's pottery students.

The couple bought a summer home at Ballantrae; and for many years spent the winters in Glasgow and the summers in Ayrshire.

Art

He joined Glasgow School of Art in 1941. He studied painting under Hugh Adam Crawford.

From 1947 he regularly exhibited at the Royal Scottish Academy. He only exhibited paintings at the RSA. In only his second year exhibiting, in 1948 he won the Guthrie Award. His other paintings that year were Winter Landscape and Self Portrait.

He was elected Associate member of the Royal Scottish Academy in 1952.

He built a kiln at his home to continue his pottery and soon a number of students from his evening classes were attending his home for additional art classes.

He created large pottery murals for Lanarkshire schools.

In 1960 he got a permanent role at Glasgow School of Art becoming a lecturer in drawing and painting. He retired in 1975.

Death

He died in the summer of 1983 at Ballantrae. He was chatting to his wife Barbara and suddenly died.

Works

The Glasgow School of Art has a substantial collection of his work in their Art, Design and Architecture Collection.

The Ruth Borchard Collection has Self Portrait With A Sun Hat.

Paisley Museum and Art Galleries have Wester Ross and Flower Study

The Royal Scottish Academy has Tig Cottage And The Smiddy, Heronsford, Ballantrae.

Low Parks Museum has Haystacks At Toward.

His pottery usually has the marks ST and a Celtic Cross.

References

1915 births
1983 deaths
Scottish male painters
Guthrie Award winners
Alumni of the Glasgow School of Art
Scottish Potters
Academics of the Glasgow School of Art