Willie Rodger RSA 1930-2018

Willie Rodger was born in Kirkintilloch and decided at the age of 5 that he would become an artist, after his best friend’s drawing of a canal puffer was selected for hanging on the classroom wall and his was not. The support of Rodger’s Art Master at Lenzie Academy, Bob Allison, nurtured his talent and prepared him to enter Glasgow School of Art in 1948.

Rodger was elected to the RSA as an associate in 1989 and was the first, with Beth Fisher, elected to the new category of Associate Printmaker. The fomation of this category was championed by Philip Reeves in the 1970s, as before this, printmakers could only be elected as Associate Engravers. This meant that such members were unable to go on to become full Academicians as engravers were not eligible. Rodger would go on to become a full Academician in 2005.