Isle of Whithorn

Born in Edinburgh, Archie Sutter Watt studied before the Second World War at Glasgow School of Art and following service with the Army he attended Edinburgh College of Art from 1946-49. He studied under John Maxwell, Willian Gillies and William MacTaggart. In 1950 he applied for a teaching post in Dumfries & Galloway, intending to stay for just a short while. However, he became fascinated with the area and although he taught full-time until the 1960s was able to continue his professional career as a painter, and was made a member of the RSW in 1966.   He was a founder member of the Dumfries and Galloway Arts Festival, and held studio exhibitions every year as part of the week long Festival held at the end of May until 2003. Initially, he painted watercolours very much in the tradition of Gillies, but in recent years has developed his own distinctive style, painting flower pieces and landscapes - especially of the Galloway area in which he lived - which are often large and abstracted.   In 2000 a major retrospective was staged to great popular acclaim Gracefield Arts Centre when over 120 of his works were brought together and a catalogue published to accompany the show. He painted in both oil and watercolour and produced etchings on a home-made press adapted from a laundry mangle until 2004 when he decided to try a properly engineered press and new non-toxic drypoint techniques, with great success. He died in April 2005 just after his 90th birthday.