“A lot of my friends are retiring now and I’ve just started up another new business,” William Dawson says with a laugh.
The 58-year-old has swapped one seaside setting for another after making the move from Aberdour in Fife to Stonehaven.
He is the owner and curator of the recently opened Quay Gallery, found on the corner of Rodney Street.
The lawyer turned artist had previously lived in the coastal village for 22 years.
His former gallery was open for 16 of those.
However, he made the move as his partner got a job here and he also decided it was “time for a change and a new adventure”.
I took a drive down to meet William on a gloriously sunny summer morning.
As we sit in his office, classical music provides a soothing soundtrack to our conversation.
The artist’s desk is surrounded by various trinkets collected over the years, while a portrait of him hangs on the wall.
The “interesting, moody and evocative” painting was given to him by an artist who he had showcased in his former gallery.
Why did he convert a flat in Stonehaven into a gallery?
William originally hails from Elgin, but he is familiar with the north-east as he studied law and accountancy at the University of Aberdeen.
He decided to buy a flat and transform it into his new gallery as there wasn’t any suitable retail space left in the town.
But it turns out the building has quite the history.
“Way back it was a gin bar, then it was a grocer, a cobbler, then it was a flat for almost 50 years,” William tells me.
The home’s former sitting room is now an office and studio, while two bedrooms are now gallery spaces.
Its kitchen has stayed in place but acts more as an area for William to pack prints that have been sold.
“It’s handy for packing and it means I can have all my bubble wrap through there rather than make a mess here,” he says.
“It’s quite a nice set up for me.”
He admitted Aberdeenshire Council’s planning process took longer than he anticipated but one year on, the gallery is finally open.
Third time’s the charm for Quay Gallery
This latest venture is the third home for the Quay Gallery.
It was previously based on Aberdour’s High Street, just a short stroll away from the beach.
“My old place was a great big shop, it was an old butcher’s so this is a very different feel,” William explains.
Meanwhile, the first gallery was located inside a renovated ice cream shack down by the harbour.
“I love buildings and I love renovating,” he reveals.
Meanwhile, William’s new home is a “tremendous crumbly old B-listed Georgian house” which he admitted was his next transformation project.
And another reason to make the move north.
Where did love of art come from?
William has been a full-time artist for the last 30 years and hopes to continue for many years to come.
“The great thing about running a gallery is, it’s the kind of job that you can do when you’re 80,” he says.
William previously worked at the now defunct law firm Bell and Scott in Edinburgh.
But, he decided to give it up as he always enjoyed painting and wanted to be self-employed.
And a love of art runs in William’s family.
His father enjoyed drawing, while his grandmother was a painter.
William’s twin brother was also a keen artist, and the pair were always encouraged to lean into their artistic sides.
The artist sold his first picture when he was aged 12 at the Moray Arts Exhibition.
“I was very lucky,” William says with a smile.
“It wasn’t that great but someone liked it and I guess that spurred me on a bit.”
What artwork can be found at the Quay Gallery?
William paints architectural montages of towns and cities, as well as stylised landscapes.
But there is lots in the north-east to provide him with inspiration for his next piece.
He explained: “This coastline is just perfect for me with crags and ruined castles, it couldn’t be better in many ways.
“I like buildings in craggy landscapes and water.
“My work is often a bit jagged, which this coastline is as well, so the landscape definitely appeals to me.”
William has even done his own take on the historic castle ruins found nearby.
“Like everyone else I did a painting of Dunnottar, you can’t not really,” he says with a chuckle.
Although he admits it was hard trying to do something different as “everyone’s done it”.
But the region’s castles, along with the area’s history and architecture will help encourage him.
And a trip to Slains Castle is on his list.
Work by artists from London, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Fife can be found in the gallery at the moment.
A number of ceramics, glass and greetings cards are also on sale in the town centre venue.
‘Stonehaven is a very friendly place’
Despite opening just a week ago, the gallery enjoyed a busy first weekend and made some good sales.
But, William admits he misses Fife and the friends he has left behind.
“I really loved Aberdour and had a great time there, but I am a restless character and I like new challenges.
“It’s a great place to live, I really enjoyed it very much…it was very good to me and good for me.”
Before permanently opening in Stonehaven, William hosted two pop-up galleries thanks to Hyve Architects’ HY space on Allardice Street.
It was there he got a sense that there was a market for a new art gallery in town.
And he was left thoroughly impressed by what he saw too.
“Stonehaven is a very friendly place,” William said.
“In some ways I think it’s incredible because so many of our market towns have given up and you don’t get that feeling here.
“There are new things opening up all the time, there’s good places to eat and drink and it’s got a real buzz to it.
“There is a very nice gallery here already and galleries work well in clusters,” he added.
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