Forth Valley College graduation: Denny artist Niamh picks up another award for her work

Niamh McFarlane, 22, who graduated with a BA Art and Design, won the Most Promising Student in the Department of Creative, Digital and Leisure Industries prize, sponsored by Vass Media.

During the summer, she sold her painting Freshscape to the Smith Art Gallery and Museum in Stirling for its private collection and then won the City Contemporary Art Exhibition Award for her work to be displayed at the City Contemporary Galleries in Perth.

This recognition was the result of her work being exhibited at the college's end of year degree show at the Stirling campus with her paintings also selling consistently in recent months.

Naimh said: “I am shocked at winning this award, but I do feel like my hard work has paid off. It has made my day to hear this news. I couldn’t have done it without the support of the lecturers. I will be using my prizemoney on more paint for more paintings.”

A former St Modan’s High School pupil, Niamh had been working as a nursery teacher, but the pandemic lockdown led her to reassess her future path and she applied to FVC as she always enjoyed being creative at high school.

Now after three years at FVC, she is at the University of Stirling to complete her honours degree and is looking forward to embarking on her career as a full-time artist.

She didn't have the easiest of starts to her college studies during lockdown but said the lecturers were “trying to get everything they could out of you while at home”.

Niamh added: “I was carving artwork from bars of soap and painting in my bedroom, but it was all worth it. When I came back to the Stirling campus I started to become a bit more rebellious and adventurous, upping the size of my canvases to as much as six feet. But the lecturers and technicians were always so supportive and helpful and they always helped find a way to bring your ideas to reality.

“That is why I would 100 per cent recommend the creative industries department and its courses to anyone- – if they are interested in Art and Design they should go for it and apply.

"There are amazing facilities, studios and workshops, and the great thing is you are studying with classmates who are working in their own mediums and ideas, and you can feed off each other. It is a great environment to build your confidence and find your own creative voice.”

More than 700 students were eligible to graduate this year from Forth Valley College and 230 of them chose to collect their scrolls at three ceremonies, which were held at the college’s headquarters for the first time.

Guest speaker at the morning ceremony was entrepreneur Cameron McCann co-owner of Stirling Gin, while in the early afternoon event Janie McCusker, chair of NHS Forth Valley gave the keynote speech, and at the final ceremony entrepreneur Ross Tuffee spoke to the assembled graduates and guests.

Forth Valley College Principal Kenny MacInnes, said: “All our prize winners have also excelled in their course and thoroughly deserve this recognition. We wish them all well as they embark upon their new careers or continued study.”