Alasdair Hilleary (Loon) - Biography

Alasdair Hilleary (aka Loon) lives and works in the North of Scotland; the idyllic landscape that surrounds him also appears in his works. Hilleary has had his nickname “Loon”, a colloquial Scottish term for a young man, since his early childhood. St. Moritz is a second home for the artist; he is an enthusiastic Cresta rider, an amateur bobber and an adventurous skier. Hilleary owes his love for winter sports to his mother, who was part of the Olympic ski team twice.

 

The artist found his passion for drawing and painting already at the tender age of seven or eight years. “The cartooning developed itself in the back row of the classroom at Gordonstoun, where I also received the only formal training for painting I have ever had. What I create now is to all intents and purposes self taught.”

Alasdair Hilleary's colourful watercolours are humorous and worldly-wise

After graduating from school Hilleary went to the University of Grenoble in France for a short period of time before he started working for the ski patrols in the skiing region of Courcheval. Here he could ski all day to his heart's content for the whole season. Later he joined the Scotch guards and served in Germany, Northern Ireland and London. The ideas for cartoons stem largely from his rich supply of experiences. His enthusiasm and drive are at the same time joy of life and source of inspiration for his creations. He always carries a notepad to capture impressions. “You will find me researching my subject out stalking,  on the river bank,  skiing or riding the Cresta run,  riding,  hunting,  racing  and now sailing...etc...etc...!”

 

In his studio Hilleary uses a mirror to get inspiration for the facial expressions of his figures and animals: “Most of what you see in the paintings are in fact self-portraits”, the artist explains. He uses water colour for his paintings and finishes them with drawing ink and crayons. His aim is to create colourful and beautiful images with a humoristic content.

 

You can buy works by Sir Alasdair Hilleary (Loon) in our shop.

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