"Blowing Fresh" Off Ailsa Craig

Originally a postman, Downie studied briefly in Paris but was mostly self-taught. He painted views of Glasgow, including the Clyde and in the vicinity of Gourock. He was awarded a gold medal at the Paris Salon in 1901 and exhibited at the Royal Academy, Royal Scottish Academy, Royal Society of Painters in Watercolour, Royal Intitute of British Artists and the Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts from 1885. Ailsa Craig is an island in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland. It has often been a popular subject for artists.