Obituary: Francis Curran, artist, inspiring teacher and publican who had a zest for hard work and life

Artist Francis Curran was the antithesis of the idea that those who can’t, teach. He was one of an inspiring breed of tutors who remained passionate painters throughout their teaching career: a man who instilled that enthusiasm in his students, instinctively adopting a trademark style for demonstrating the craft rather than theorising.

From his early days, when his sitters included the young Sean Connery, to his time post-retirement from education, he painted with a vibrancy and fluidity, embracing one of the favourite catchphrases, fondly remembered by his students: “The wetter, the better.”

Never one afraid of hard work, for a while he also juggled another career in tandem with his teaching – as the licensee of his father’s pub.

Born in Edinburgh, he was raised in Dalkeith, the son of publican James Curran and his wife Jemima who ran the town’s Cross Keys Hotel.

Always known as Frank, he attended Dalkeith High School, where he met his future wife and left at 17 to go to Edinburgh College of Art, where his contemporaries included Elizabeth Blackadder.

He won an Andrew Carnegie travelling scholarship in 1952 and spent a year, post-graduation, in France and Spain. The award-winning work that earned him the scholarship was a portrait of Edinburgh milkman, life model and future James Bond, Sean Connery.

He followed his travels with teacher training at Moray House and a short spell in primary schools, once teaching in 14 schools in ten days.

The next two years were spent in National Service in the Royal Air Force, based in the Isle of Man and Dumfriesshire, where he learned a trade as a mechanic before returning to teaching.

He worked for Midlothian Education Authority, spending a couple of years at Loanhead Junior Secondary before moving to his old school, Dalkeith High, where he taught for another two years.

His next post was as principal teacher of art at Currie High School, where he remained for the following 27 years before taking early retirement at 60, in 1989, to pursue a successful second career as a full-time artist.

In the intervening years, his father had bought the Artisan Bar in Edinburgh’s London Road. It was later run by Curran’s brother Tommy and when he died, in the late 1960s, Curran took over the running of the family business.

A workaholic and a perfectionist, he became the licensee of the pub, near Easter Road and a favourite haunt of Hibs fans, for seven or eight years, combining work there in the evening with his day job as principal art teacher. The bar remained in the family for about 30 years, between the 1940s and the 1970s.

Meanwhile, he had married his school sweetheart Rita, with whom he had three children, and took every opportunity to paint, particularly on Tiree where the couple had a second home just 20 yards from the beach. Bought from a leading light in Glasgow School of Art, it was built in the late 19th century and has been owned by a working artist ever since.

The family spent every holiday there, at Easter, during the summer and in October, where Curran painted to his heart’s content. He experimented in various media, painting seascapes and landscapes not only on Tiree but also from his studio in Bonnyrigg, around the Edinburgh area and on Deeside, as well as portraits.

He exhibited at the Royal Scottish Academy, the Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts and the Mall Galleries in London as well as staging several solo exhibitions at the Torrance Gallery in Edinburgh. He also has works in private and public collections and can take credit for inspiring numerous students, including the contemporary Scottish artist Moyna Flannigan, to follow in his footsteps.

Outside the world of art, Curran was an accomplished musician. As a schoolboy, he and his brother George shared an accordion and were taught in Methven Simpson’s shop in the capital’s Princes Street.

He went on to play in Scottish country dance music in bands as a young man and later he was invited to join David Sturgeon and his Waverley Scottish Dance Band. They performed at functions as far away as Manchester and Cornwall, once getting the red carpet treatment in Zagreb where they had been invited to play by an expatriate Scot.

Sport also featured in his leisure pursuits. While working at Currie High he had taught rugby in addition to art. One of his colleagues then was PE teacher Richie Dixon, now the coach of the Georgia rugby team. Curran and his leaving group from school had also reformed Dalkeith Rugby Club after it fell into abeyance during the Second World War.

Fishing, too, was a big part of his life. He enjoyed the sport in the rivers and reservoirs around his home area as well as sea fishing out of a couple of boats the family kept and was a particularly enthusiastic trout fisherman on Tiree. His busy retirement also included golfing at Broomieknowe Golf Club.

A man driven by a huge work ethic, a passion, persistence and determination to get things done without ever losing sight of his principles, Curran is remembered by his family as one of the foremost artists of his generation.

He is survived by Rita, his wife of 55 years, children Alan, Hamish and Jean, eight grandchildren and his brother George.

ALISON SHAW