ALISON HARPER (BRITISH, b.1964), 'AFTER MONET'S GARDEN', 2001, CONTEMPORARY SCOTTISH SCHOOL, OIL ON CANVAS, (121 x 152cm). NOTE: Alison Harper is the founder and Artistic Director of The Essential School of Painting. Alison studied at Glasgow School of Art (1981 to 1985) and as one of “The Glasgow Girls” was part of the resurgence in figurative painting that emerged at that time. In 1993 she won the Commonwealth Scholarship to paint in Baroda, India for two years (1993 to 1995) and upon her return to the UK took up a part-time lectureship in Painting and Printmaking at Glasgow School of Art (1995 to 2002) becoming one of the youngest lecturers to teach there. Selected exhibitions include: The National Portrait Gallery, The Royal Academy, Leicester City Art Gallery; Stirling Museum; The Boundary Gallery, London, The Collins Gallery, Glasgow The City Arts Centre, Edinburgh; The Graphic Museum of Tokyo, Japan. Alison is the recipient of numerous Scholarships, awards and prizes including The Commonwealth Scholarship, The Norwegian Government Scholarship, The Cheltenham Drawing Prize, Ruth Davidson Memorial Award and The Prince’s Drawing School Bursary Award. Alison is included in Who’s Who in Art and Who’s Who of Women in the World.