Craigie Aitchison, R.A. (1926-2009)

In her book A Big Life, Australian fashion designer Jenny Kee discusses how she acquired the present work on a visit to Craigie Aitchison's home in 1985: 'We also visited eccentric Scottish painter Craigie Aitchison in his eccentric little house, surrounded by his eccentric little paintings. He plied Grace with champagne and orange juice which she thought was wonderful, and spoke glowingly of his goddaughter (Michael [Andrews] and June's Melanie) in his strange, squeaky voice. We left with a slightly tipsy child and a Craigie Aitchison original' (op. cit., p. 259).