Ian Fleming (artist)

Ian Fleming was born in Glasgow as John Fleming, though he was always known as Ian. His parents were John Fleming (died 1939) a painter and decorator, and Catherine McLean (died 1970). Catherine was from Tiree and was a Gaelic speaker.[4]

Fleming went to Church Street Primary School and then Hyndland Secondary School before going on to the Glasgow School of Art.[5]

Fleming married Catherine Weetch in 1943. They had 3 children.[4]

Fleming studied at Jordanhill Teacher Training College; then taught at Glasgow School of Art.[5]

During the Second World War he was first a reserve policeman in Glasgow; and then joined the Pioneer Corps in their thrust from Normandy to Germany. He was demobbed in 1946 as Acting-Major.[5]

Fleming re-joined the Glasgow School of Art in 1946. He then moved to Arbroath in 1948 as the warden of the Patrick Allan-Fraser Art College. Then in 1954, he moved north again to Gray's School of Art, Aberdeen. He revamped and energised the whole school:- moving it to a proper college setting in Garthdee; creating a library; and made a bigger department of printmaking; and gave it a much bigger curriculum. He also encouraged students to go the School of Art in Aberdeen when visiting all of Aberdeen's schools.[4]

Fleming was the local chairman of the Saltire Society in Aberdeen. He was also a Rotarian. He said for recreation in Who's Who was to be 'anything Scottish'.[5]

Fleming was at the Glasgow School of Art from 1924 to 1929. Later as a member of staff he painted the portrait of the two students Robert Colquhoun and Robert McBryde. It was that portrait that won the Guthrie Award in 1938.[6]

Fleming first exhibited in the Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts exhibition in 1927; and in the Royal Scottish Academy in 1930.[4]

Fleming was a member of the Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolour in 1947.[4]

Fleming was elected associate member of the RSA in 1947 and a full member in 1956.[6]

Fleming revived the Aberdeen Artists Society after arriving in Aberdeen. It had been dormant since the start of the Second World War.[7] It now has an annual exhibition in Aberdeen Art Gallery.[6]

Fleming died on 24 July 1994.[5] He died of kidney failure in his home in Aberdeen.[4]

Harbour Pattern is in the Grampian Hospital Arts Trust.[7]

A portrait of the artist is in the National Galleries of Scotland,[8] and another is in the RSA collection.[5]

The Wallace Tower, Aberdeen is in the Blairs Museum, near Aberdeen.[9]

His Fishermen is in the Scottish Maritime Museum.[10]