Archibald Kay RSW RSA was born in Glasgow on September 4th, 1860. By his early teens, Archie knew that he wanted to become an artist and specialise in landscapes and was offered a place at the Glasgow College of Art where his tutor was Robert Greenlees – himself a talented artist in both stained glass, oils and watercolour.

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Archi Kay was very much a central part of the strong and vibrant Glasgow art scene in the late nineteenth century and had studios on Vincent Street as well as Main and Regent Street where he would go on to share accommodation with Rennie Mackintosh. By 1910, Archie had travelled around Europe selling his work in Holland and Italy and even to the King of Italy in 1904.

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Having taught at the Glasgow Art Club, Archie would become president in 1904-05 and also became elected as a full member of the Royal Scottish Academy in 1931.

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This book covers the journey of the modern-day Kay family to research Archie’s roots and to locate his grave in Callander and looks at what influences his love of the River Leny and the rich colours of the four seasons that dominate his later work.