Jane Cruickshank was born in 1976. She studied Fine Art at Gray's School of Art in Aberdeen, Scotland, completing her Master of Arts degree in 1999.

She is a talented young Scottish artist and has won numerous awards and scholarships. These include: Cooper and Lybrand Competition 1996; John Kinross Scholarship to Florence in 1997; and the James Torrence Memorial Award from the Royal Glasgow Institute in 1998. Using recognisable subject matter Cruickshank employs an intense realism in her paintings. Subjects have a luminescence and clarity that makes them appear as if they could move off the canvas. Her work is immediately accessible.

Jane Cruickshank's early work concentrated on figures. She says: 'I started painting the figure while at Art College, mainly self-portraits or members of the family usually on large canvases with the figure placed off centre to create an image of vulnerability. Pattern and surface is a tool that I use to explore how the dominance of appearance manipulates the identity.' Latterly Jane has also produced still life pieces to great effect and now has a growing reputation for her luminous fine art still life paintings. Her paintings have all the quality and depth associated with her principal medium of oils, successfully combining intense realism with a luminescence and clarity that give them a very contemporary feel. Jane creates perfect balance between the objects and space in her paintings - it appears as if the subject could move off the canvas.

Jane Cruickshank produces fine still life art work with delicately defined paintings. She is fascinated by the everyday objects particularly of times past - candle stuffers, earthware bottles and antique books are common themes in her work. She equally adept at capturing the subtle qualities of ceramic or metallic objects as the light and refection plays across and upon each surface. She has the capacity to get the viewer to see the beauty of the ordinary and to produce art works which are little gems. Her work has the appeal of the old masters but are very much in the contemporary style.

In addition to Red Rag Art Gallery Jane Cruickshank art work has been exhibited at other leading Scottish Art Galleries. Each painting at Red Rag is sourced from the Jane Cruickshank artist studio and like all Red Rag Scottish art and Contemporary art it can be shipped worldwide.

This is the Red Rag Scottish Art Gallery website page for Portrait paintings from leading contemporary artists. Red Rag Gallery has a great collection of contemporary Scottish Art which extends to Portrait paintings. The art of Portrait painting has existed for centuries. Historically, portrait paintings were primarily commissioned by the rich and powerful. More recently portraits are more likely to be of families and colleagues and are commissioned by individuals, governments, corporations, groups and clubs.

Each featured artist in Red Rag Scottish Art Gallery portfolio of contemporary Portrait paintings can be viewed by clicking on the artist name. Information on price, size and availability for portrait paintings can be viewed by clicking on the image of each portrait.

Each contemporary Portrait painting shown on the Red Rag Scottish Art Gallery website has been sourced from the art studio of artist. This guarantees you that the paintings are genuine pieces of contemporary art from the artist.

Red Rag Scottish Art Gallery is open every day for the purchase of Scottish Art and Portraits. For all purchases of contemporary Portrait paintings Red Rag Scottish Art Gallery offer a worldwide art shipment service

Many Red Rag Scottish Art Gallery artists are available to undertake your own portrait commissions. A portrait commission is a special and very personal art piece. It is useful to remember when you commission a portrait that you are engaging in an interpretation of the sitter through the eyes of the artist. Visiting the artist, seeing work 'in the flesh' and talking through details of the portrait commission is all part of the portrait painting process. Portraiture artists at Red Rag include Darren Baker, David Cobley , Simon Davis and Charles Hardaker

To view the Portrait art work of each artist simply click on the artist's name or image. If you would like to purchase or require further information about Red Rag Scottish Art portrait paintings please contact the gallery.