James Stuart Park
James Stuart Park's mother was originally from Craigie. When
still quite young he returned with his family to the West of
Scotland, where his father is later recorded as a carpet designer.
Around the mid-1880's he attended evening classes at the Glasgow
School of Art and first exhibited at the Glasgow Institute in 1883.
It is thought at this time he was apprenticed to be an engineer,
however his talent for painting developed and with further studies
in Paris and Glasgow he gave up all notion of any other profession.
For almost the next three years from 1889 he was to develop a style
of painting which was original in its approach and which did much
to enhance his reputation in Glasgow at that time.
This attention was the result of a series of early flower studies
which had a quality and freshness which set a basis for all his
future work, for although he painted a number of portraits, it is
his flower paintings which preoccupied his output and led to his
inclusion to a group of painters who came to be known as the
Glasgow School and his involvement did much to further his
career.
Known collectively as 'The Glasgow Boys', there would be times
when many of these friends would travel together painting and
exchanging ideas. During this time Park had a studio in Glasgow and
exhibited widely. By the late 1890's he had settled his home in
Kilmarnock and in 1902 he married Helen Fullarton, a girl from
Saltcoats. His address is given as 15 South Hamilton Street. He
continued to develop his style while his paintings enjoyed a great
deal of popularity. To meet the demand for his work he had the use
of an outbuilding at Bellfield House, Kilmarnock, which he used as
a studio and which gave access to the greenhouses that served this
local estate. The arrangement providing an abundance of subject
material for him to work from.
He later rented a flat on London Road, Kilmarnock, and later
bought the half villa 'Elmslie', also on London Road. There were
five children, two boys, John and Charlie and three girls, Mary,
Helen and Irene and there continues to be a family connection with
Kilmarnock up until the present. He is still remembered, towards
the end of his life, travelling about Kilmarnock by bicycle with
canvases strapped to his back. An article in the Scots Pictorial of
June 1900 refers to the fact that he was a splendid rider and that
in the summer of 1899 he travelled from Glasgow to London by
bicycle, in three days. In later years his painting became
predictable, following a tried and tested format at times using
simply formed flower petals placed to contrast on a black
background that showed little of the composition, tone and detail
reserved for his earlier work. However, he continued to exhibit
regularly having an annual exhibition every February in the
McLellan Galleries, Glasgow.
