A Perthshire artist has taken the wraps off his own tribute to the Princess of Wales as the world marks the 20th anniversary of her death.
Jim Douglas, 84, painted the watercolour, titled The Picnic, when Diana and Charles were still a happy couple – outwardly at least – and their sons, William and Harry, were small boys.
It shows the family enjoying a day out in the Scottish countryside during one of their holidays at Balmoral, the princess grilling fish while her husband hooks a Highland cow and the boys play with the native birds and animals.
Retired art teacher Mr Douglas, who is well known as a poet and songwriter, was moved to dig out the painting, based on a favourite picnic spot near Blair Atholl, after coverage of the anniversary of Diana’s death resurrected controversy about over the royal couple’s troubled marriage and bitter divorce.
“I felt sorry for the boys,” he said at the home he shares with wife Kathy in Bridge of Earn. “This picture shows them all enjoying happy times and simple pleasures and I hope they remember there was a time when life was like that.”
The son of Kelty mine workers, Mr Douglas is better known for his portrayals of pit culture, tattie howking and other scenes of working life but two of his paintings, including a large watercolour of Braemar Gathering, have already been donated to the royal collection.
The father-of-four, who trained at Glasgow School of Art and taught at Perth Academy and Kinross High School, has taken part in a number of major exhibitions in recent years and has donated 200 works to Fife museums and galleries.
