Struan Robb is a young artist working in Project Ability’s Create studios. In 2024 Struan had his African Giraffe painting exhibited in the annual Royal Scottish Academy exhibition! In 2025 Struan exhibited with fellow Project Ability artist Greg Coultas in the Project Ability gallery.
“I have been coming to Project Ability since I was 10 years old. I love coming here. When i am painting I can focus and feel calm. I am in control when I am painting and drawing it makes sense to me when everything around me is confusing. The tutors and volunteers are always very encouraging and helpful, they have really helped me find a way of expressing myself through my paintings; particularly Valerie, who has really helped me find a very unique and creative way of using the paint to give a very textured and 3-d style. When I look at images and people, the colours, shapes even sounds jump out at me. I don’t see things as flat or still, they move and flow around me, and this is why my paint is thick in some parts and thin in others, this is how I view the world.”
Struan Robb’s use of ultra thick paint seems to defy gravity! Using a variety of different subject matter, what ties Robb’s work together is the texture and mark making. He chooses his subjects carefully, considering what elements will work well with the thick paint. The application needs to be carefully executed, and Robb has perfected this technique over the last few years.
