A PORT artist has won a major prize worth £10,000 for her work inspired by abandoned buildings.

Samantha Cheevers, 23, has received the Glenfiddich Residency Award, the largest prize to be awarded to a new artist in Scotland

She will now join contemporary artists from around the world on the prestigious Glenfiddich Artists in Residency programme at the Glenfiddich distillery in Morayshire, this summer.

Samantha, whose work explores abandoned farms, hospitals and children's homes, said: "The documentation and photography I have collected from abandoned places are the key elements to my paintings.

“The letters and objects I have found inside these derelict buildings help to create a narrative that brings a surreal and peculiar environment to my work.

"When exploring the buildings I always found it interesting how nature was taking over these man-made structures, so a lot of my work is focused on bringing the outside into these empty spaces.”

Samantha completed an HNC in Art and Design at City of Glasgow College, then a degree in painting at Gray’s School of Art, Aberdeen.

She is no stranger to awards receiving an Aberdeen Arts Centre Graduate Award last year.

Samantha impressed judges with the skill and inventiveness of her work, which uses elements of ruined and disused buildings to create colourful, surreal paintings.

Andy Fairgrieve, co-ordinator of the Glenfiddich Artists in Residence programme, said: “We are delighted to be inviting Samantha to join the Glenfiddich residency this summer.

"The selection panel felt that she has developed a very strong signature style in her eye-catching paintings which capture the texture and atmosphere of the abandoned buildings that inspire her.

“There are a number of ruined and tumble-down buildings in the area surrounding the Glenfiddich distillery and I am sure her explorations will result in a fresh wealth of inspiration for her."

The Glenfiddich Artists in Residence programme was launched by distillery owners William Grant & Sons in 2002, and is one of the largest privately funded artist residency programmes in the UK with a total budget of £130,000.

During the three-month residency at the Dufftown distillery, Samantha will be provided with a house and studio, a monthly stipend and a budget to create new artwork for exhibition in Glenfiddich’s on-site gallery.