Author: boomadmin

Two old friends are next up at Fidra Fine Art. George Birrell and Davy Brown met while studying at Glasgow School of Art in the late 60’s, early 70’s and have remained firm friends ever since.

Both George and Davy follow a great tradition of Scottish colourist painters. They talk avidly and fondly of the training they received at Glasgow School of Art. Tutors such as the wonderful painters; Alexander Goudie, David Donaldson, Jimmy Robertson and William Crosbie, who were themselves seduced by the sumptuous pigments and spontaneity of the work by the Scottish Colourists before them, greatly influenced not only George and Davy, but a whole generation of Scottish artists working today.

However, major influences for both artists came before art college. For George, it was his art teacher at school, William Birnie who provided early inspiration. Keen observation of buildings, landscapes and the changing light of the seasons typified William Birnie’s work and it is surely no coincidence that these are strong features found in George’s paintings.

For Davy, early and enduring influence came from the two great Scottish artists, Robert Colquhoun and Robert MacBryde. His passion for their work has fuelled his own painting career and echoes of their work can be seen in his latest collection of still life and landscape pieces. Following a health scare in 2013, a slight change can be seen in his work – still strong colour with a familiar texture but a subtle change in his palette has introduced a fresh, airy quality to his work.

Both artists have produced new work for this show. Davy has returned to the Galloway harbours and landscape near his home in Newton Stewart for inspiration. Also included and with a nod to MacBryde, are a number of still life pieces which feature the artist’s paraphernalia, bathed in light from around his studio.

George has included new pieces inspired by the architecture and atmosphere of the East Coast fishing villages and castles he is so well known for, but as always, he has explored new colour melodies to delight his collectors.

It’s great to welcome back two Scottish artists working at the height of their powers.

George Birrell & Davy Brown exhibition opens 29 October and continues until 4 December with a Preview on Friday 28 October 6-8pm.

6 August to 11 September

Preview Friday 5 August 6-8pm

Special opening times for Fringe by the Sea – 12-5pm from 6-14 August

The volcanic plug that is Bass Rock, sits a few miles off the coast at North Berwick. Its presence to people who live in East Lothian has provided a timeless, reassuring permanence. Something to gaze and marvel at throughout the changing seasons, something to come home to, a familiar friend.

To artists it has proved an irresistible muse. It will have been drawn in the sand, scratched on rock faces and chalked on pavements for centuries. Many of the great Scottish artists have been seduced by its charm and mystery.

Alexander Nasmyth’s famous Romantic interpretation of Tantallon Castle and Bass Rock painted circa 1816 sits proudly in the National Galleries of Scotland collection, a dramatic composition of the castle and the rock against the elements.

Soon after, in 1818, JMW Turner visited Edinburgh and was drawn to Bass Rock producing a series of sketches and watercolours that were to be used in Walter Scott’s “The Provincial Antiquities and Picturesque Scenery of Scotland”.

Later, artists such as Samuel Bough, William McTaggart, his grandson William MacTaggart, Alexander Fraser, Patrick William Adam, William Miller Frazer, John Campbell Mitchell, John Blair and William Gillies all found the lure of the rock irresistible.

More recently, John Houston’s countless expressive studies of Bass Rock have made the rock almost emblematic of his work. Seen from various angles with the changing backdrop of weather and light, Bass Rock was the perfect focus for Houston to express his art. Similarly, Bass Rock appears frequently in the work of perhaps East Lothian’s most famous artist, John Bellany.

Working today, Matthew Draper’s fascination with Bass Rock has produced arguably the most dramatic studies of all. Equal in atmosphere and majesty to the landscapes of the great Scottish Romantic artists such as Alexander Nasmyth and Horatio McCulloch, Matthew’s versions are both contemporary and timeless.

The current show draws both from the past as well as from a host of successful contemporary Scottish artists working today. A wide range of styles and medium will guarantee a varied and interesting exhibition.

The current line-up includes…

Matthew Draper, Simon Laurie, George Birrell, Davy Brown, Neil Macdonald, Alice McMurrough, Henry Kondracki, Jock MacInnes, June Carey, Alan Connell, Patti Yuill, Claire Beattie, Dominique Cameron, Joseph Urie, Mark Bannerman, Angela Repping, Jayne Stokes, Georgina Bown, Fee Dickson, Rachel Marshall, Andy Heald, Arran Ross, Neal Greig, Suzanne Kirk, Carmen Ambrozevich, Gordon M Scott, John Boak, Allan Robertson, Michel Rulliere as well as pieces by John Bellany, Frank White, George Blackie Sticks, William Miller Frazer and others.