ARTISTS TALKING

Alison Watt at the National Gallery from 12 March

The seventh Associate Artist at the National Gallery, and also the youngest, Alison Watt is poised to reveal the work she has produced during her two-year stint at the National Gallery studio. With the exhibition title Phantom, these new images have been influenced by Francisco de Zurbaran's Saint Frances in Meditation, a painting for which Alison has developed a deep fascination during her residency.

Supported by the Rootstein Hopkins Foundation, the Associate Artist is appointed for a period of two years, working in the National Gallery studio with the brief of creating new work that relates to the Gallery's permanent collection. The aim of the scheme is to demonstrate the continuing inspiration of the Old Master tradition on today's artists.

As Associate Artist Alison Watt, who was also the youngest artist to be offered a solo show at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, follows in the footsteps of such artists as Paula Rego, Peter Blake and Ron Mueck.

Phantom is at The National Gallery from 12 March to 22 June. www.nationalgallery.org.uk

Artists' stories:

Alison Watt describes her work and the disturbing subtleties of the language of painting.

Emma Safe talks to Paula Rego about how she has steered her career to celebrity.