Realist painter and lecturer whose small, finely crafted tempera pictures were concerned with complex concepts. Grassie’s output included minutely detailed paintings recording contemporary exhibitions at major London galleries plus paintings featuring other artists’ works. He was born in Edinburgh and graduated with first-class honours from St Martin’s School of Art, 1984–8, having studied with John Dougill, John Stezaker and Tim Allen, gaining his master’s at the Royal College of Art, 1988–90, under Ken Kiff, Yehuda Safran and Alan Miller. Was for a time duty manager at the ICA, a visiting lecturer at Maidstone and Glasgow Schools of Art and had a residency at Camden Arts Centre. Grassie listed as influences “Vermeer, Ladybird Books and Hitchcock.