A celebrated Grangemouth landscape painter – and part-time Forth Valley College lecturer - has become the first artist to be invited to exhibit her work at the stunning Rosebank Distillery in Falkirk.
Rosebank Distillery, home of the award-winning Rosebank Single Malt Whisky and an acclaimed working distillery, is showcasing 15 of Lesley Anne Derks’ paintings in various styles:
- Oil and enamel on canvas
- Oil and board
- Oil, gold, silver and copper leaf/resin on board
The exhibition will be available to those booked onto tours until Sunday 31 August.
Lesley Anne, said: “The Rosebank Distillery is an amazing space and I am honoured to be the first artist to exhibit there. It is so good that when I first went to see where my work would be sited, I thought it was even better than the Art Room App which enables artists to show their work in different settings online.”
The exhibition of her work is available exclusively to guests participating in the Rosebank Distillery Tour, however, a small taster of the art on show can be viewed in the photographs in the carousel of the FVC website story.
A spokesperson from Rosebank Distillery, said: "We’re thrilled to be working with local artist, Lesley Anne Derks, whose distinctive style brings a vibrant energy to Rosebank.”
The distillery’s striking architecture provides a stunning backdrop for her work, enhancing the overall experience. This exhibition has been a wonderful way to connect with the local community and highlights Rosebank’s potential as both a cultural hub and a distillery.
The spokesperson added: “We’re excited to build on this opportunity to showcases local talent and highlight our reputation as a creatively engaged working distillery operating in the heart of our community in Falkirk. Our award-wining visitor tours just got even better."
Linda Paterson, Curriculum Manager in Forth Valley College’s Department of Creative, Leisure and Digital Industries, said: “We are very proud to have such a talented artist as Lesley Anne as one of our lecturers at the College. She is an inspiration to her students and to her colleagues.”
Not only is Lesley Anne exhibiting at the Rosebank Distillery, she has also taken part in the recent Falkirk Open Studios as part of D2 studios, The Creative Centre in Larbert. She has also just been shortlisted for The Scottish Landscape Awards 2025 organised by the Scottish Arts Trust. The talented artist exhibits both nationally and internationally and is commissioned regularly by high profile clients which have included Scottish Power and The Royal Navy.
Lesley Anne specialises in painting cityscapes at night - especially her home town of Grangemouth – and her recent high profile is proving particularly poignant with the imminent closure of the town’s oil refinery.
Lesley Anne’s Grangemouth landscape 'Industrial Illumination', a 70x50cm, oil on cradled board painting has been shortlisted for the Scottish Landscape Awards. It was one of over 2100 original entries and it was one of only 109 to have been shortlisted.
An exhibition of shortlisted works - including Lesley Anne’s - will be on display until Sunday 28 September at Kirkcudbright Galleries. Further info on the awards can be found here.
Lesley Anne, added: “Grangemouth my hometown, has been a huge influence in my work and was the basis of my degree show at Glasgow School of Art. I painted it for many years after graduating, before it led me on to painting predominantly cityscapes at night. In this painting I return to paint this major inspiration and it has now been shortlisted for the Scottish Landscape Awards, which is very rewarding and humbling for me.”
Despite her success and impressive reputation as a much-in-demand artist, Lesley Anne also finds her lecturing role - which she has done for the last 15 years at FVC - very rewarding too.
She added: “I love working as an Art and Design Lecturer at Forth Valley College. It is such a nice balance working two days a week with the students. I never thought I would love teaching as much as being an artist, but I really do.”
For more information on Lesley Anne’s work visit her website at: https://www.laderks.co.uk/
