ARE Scottish artists complacent? Are west coast artists especially

lazy? Last Saturday's excellent National Artists' Association Conference

held in Glasgow's CCA proves that they are. Delegates came from England,

Ireland, and Wales to discuss the benefits of a collective voice. Scots

stayed away in droves. Their loss.

Remember the imaginative Independent Artists' Initiative plans

galvanised by Glasgow City of Visual Arts 1996? It seemed then that an

effective lobby was certain. Where is it now? And what use the tame Art

Workers Union enthusiastically set up to deal with the 1990 Fruitmarket

/369 crisis? Artists, like everyone else, get the voice they deserve.

However one Scottish group shone; the Association for the Applied Arts

who lobbied the Scottish Office so effectively last year that they

retrieved #300,000 -- not as much as was lost when Highland Craftpoint

and the SDA Crafts were axed, but better than nothing. Jane Harris spoke

eloquently on behalf of 350 members.

The story of Vasile Toch reads like a film. Handsome hero, the

talented Transylvanian architect and artist, smuggles out a drawing

which wins the 1987 UK Clevelend Biennial. After long fight gets exit

visa to collect prize. Arrives in UK with one suitcase and a role of

drawings. Meets Stefanie Wolfe Murray's son who invites him to Edinburgh

to meet Richard Demarco (now professor at Kingston University). Demarco

offers an exhibition. Toch never returns to Romania. Two Wolfe Murray

brothers do -- to run an orphanage. Toch marries and lives happily ever

after in an old church in Gullane that he rescues from dereliction.

''To study architecture in Romania you must first prove you are an

artist,'' says Toch whose paintings are at Edinburgh's RIAS. In Romania

he had to design ''concrete estates to replace wonderful baroque and

gothic villages'' that Ceausescu planned to wipe out. Energetic to a

degree, Toch now collaborates on architecture projects and competitions

with Hugh Martin Partners and George Keith, including proposals for

Venice Gateway and Yokohama Harbour.

His past work was melancholy and moving; sombre icons of silver

slivers of hope amid charred blackness, a requiem to his exile. Two

children later, colourful exuberance, like Spring Stretch, and a relaxed

Transylvanian Fiddler, provide a new optimism. Toch has big plans for

his Gullane church arts centre. I'm sure he'll do it.

Seven Up is the latest group show from Edinburgh Printmakers who

recently got a well deserved #35,000 from the Foundation for Sport and

the Arts, ''A shot in the arm,'' says director Robert Adam. The seven

members include Erskine whose attractive lilies and sweet peas have a

Nabis feel; Ferguson with ambitious etchings (at #25 both artists should

sell out!); Clark, whose abstracted textured surfaces have twice won her

a place at London's prestigious Slade but not the funds to take it up;

MacIver who is obsessed with the Scott Monument and Lemasurier whose

swirling abstracts and text need more focus.

Opening today at Roger Billcliffe Fine Art is a fine memorial tribute

to Sir Robin Philipson who died last year. Many Scottish artists owe a

lot to Philipson. This array of stunning oils demonstrates exactly why

he is missed not only for his kindness and personality but also for his

artistic inspiration.