BILLY CONNOLLY
It was a drizzly day in Montreal when Billy Connolly first put felt-tip pen to paper. What started as sketches of desert islands soon evolved into Born On A Rainy Day , a fully- fledged series of beguiling shapes and bold, black-and-white linework. Fast-forward 14 years; the rain has stopped, the clouds have parted, and vibrant pops of colour are brightening the humorous figures we’ve come to know and love. This year marks the 10th anniversary of Castle Fine Art’s partnership with Billy, coinciding with the artist’s 80th birthday. Billy’s image of the Scottish terrier, lovingly referred to as ‘Scotty Poser,’ was one of his first pieces to be fleshed out in colour and was a record-breaking sell out within hours of launch. Over the past 12 months, much of his artwork has seen a significant rise in the use of vivid, eye- catching pigments. In this latest addition to his collection, ‘Scotty Poser’ returns, but this time with 24 varying colour combinations guaranteed to capture eyes and hearts alike. “He came about as a rather plain wee dog,” explained Billy. “He was a wee brown dog and I always wondered why David Attenborough and people like him, when filming dogs, missed out on the wee brown dog.” Donning a mischievous grin, he added, “I always wondered what he was up to as he ran through the streets on his own, turning corners and running across pedestrian crossings. He was obviously up to something and for years I’d wondered what it was. I never
found out, but the dog you see now – the multicoloured dog – is the descendant of him, and you can see where he’s going.” In 2012, Born On A Rainy Day was commended as the offspring of Billy’s creative pursuits, combining the CBE recipient’s background in comedy with his quiet passion for visual art. With its depiction of simplistic, familiar shapes, the series earned parallels to early cave paintings, while his impromptu technical style reflects Surrealist Automatism, a process where the artist’s hand is permitted to move spontaneously across the canvas. Considering his style, Billy said: “It’s just lovely, the way people think you do it. People think I paint or draw things on purpose. I don’t. I just draw. And then as it goes on, it becomes obvious what it’s going to be (to me). And then I can think about it along those lines: a horse, a man or a balloon. That’s when I name it—at the end.” “The colour palette I’ve used has had a profound effect on me. I didn’t realise it would do so much to bring the drawings to life…it’s ridiculous that I should think that—of course it does. Colour has that effect on things. But the degree took me by surprise. Colour is weird; a little goes a long way.” In merging his instinctive and imaginative vibrant hues with Scotland’s most prized pooch, Billy successfully fuses together his two worlds, creating a collection guaranteed to brighten any rainy day.
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