A TOP Scottish artist is showing some of his unseen work here in Ayr.

John Lowrie Morrison (“Jolomo”) is well known for his best-selling paintings of Scottish landscapes in high-key colour, but a major retrospective exhibition which opened at the weekend in Ayr will shine light on little known aspects of his career.

Jolomo: A Passion for Colour, opened at the Maclaurin Gallery, Rozelle Park, on Saturday, July 3, and brings together unseen and rarely seen work from across his 50-year painting career, including striking portraits of disabled young people, abstract designs for textiles and previously unseen religious paintings.

It will remain until September 5 and includes a number of landscape and abstract paintings done at Culzean Castle, which hosted art residencies and Summer schools for students when John was at Glasgow School of Art.

Speaking about the exhibition, John said: “People might think they know what I do, but this is going to be a bit of an eye-opener. People who know my landscape work will be surprised to see the range of work here.

“There is a lot of work in this exhibition which hasn’t been shown before, not just paintings but drawings as well. I think people will be quite amazed when they see that a landscape painter has painted all this figurative work and religious work.

“People won’t have seen the Christian or religious work I’ve done all through my career as this has never been shown in a gallery context. It’s great to have an opportunity to show such a big range of work in Ayrshire.

“Culzean Castle was an important place for me. I think we were only meant to come in first and second year, but I managed to come every year. I did a lot of work there, including textile designs and some of my early landscape paintings.”

Entry is free but booking is advised by calling 01292 445447.

Dianne Gardner, head of programming for the Maclaurin Trust, added: “I think people will be surprised and amazed at the depth and the variety of work in this show. It’s a real privilege to see the development of an artist, that’s what this exhibition is about.

“Real artists develop their work and change it throughout their lives and Jolomo is doing exactly that.”