Category: Exhibitions Previous

Work on Paper

Featuring work by; Georgina Bown, Alfons Bytautas, Stephanie Dees, Ailsa Magnus, Patrick Mitchell, Charlene Scott, Sue Shields, Matthew Storstein, Alasdair Wallace & Graeme Wilcox.

12 October to 24 November

Opening at 11am Saturday 12 October with refreshments and meet the artists from 2-5pm.

Work on Paper pulls together 10 artists whose work encompasses a range of media including printmaking, drawing, painting and sculpture…all on, or in the case of the sculpture, of, paper.

There are a variety of interesting printmaking techniques represented by several of the artists.

Georgina Bown has produced a beautiful series of unique monotypes focusing on the rhythmic movement of Stingrays. The process involved in monotype printmaking encourages interesting textures through the varying pressure applied to the paper onto the inked surface.

Sue Shields is a mixed media landscape artist who also employs monotype techniques in her work. Three of the pieces in this exhibition are monotype landscapes and two are charcoal and wash drawings. Sue is drawn to the historical narratives of the locations she visits and this feeds into her landscapes.

The Monotype theme continues in Matthew Storstein’s work. Matthew says that from the outset he doesn’t have a preconceived idea of what his paintings will be. Images and narratives evolve as the textures and abstract forms take shape.

The creativity that can emerge from a more playful process is also evident in Alfons Bytautas’ work. Mesmeric, labyrinthine compositions which allow the viewer to come to their own interpretive conclusions.

Alasdair Wallace’s etchings and paintings are more representational with interesting narratives laced with a wry, observational humour. Thoughtful, beautifully painted work…it’s great to have his work in this exhibition.

Delighted to welcome back, last month’s winner of the Sutherland Independent Scottish Portrait Awards in Fine Art 2024, Graeme Wilcox, who has provided a number of typically atmospheric figure studies. Graeme’s work is always well constructed with thoughtful composition and narrative and, I think, the atmosphere is somehow heightened with his monochromatic ink and charcoal pieces.

Atmosphere is also important in the work of Stephanie Dees as she captures the effects that the changing seasons have on the architecture of the old and new towns of Edinburgh.

A graduate of Edinburgh College of Art in 2023, Charlene Scott principally works on paper and explores, using a variety of colours produced from botanical pigments and the repetition of line, diagonal folds and pattern, a feeling of tranquillity and connection to place.

Another recent graduate, this time from Duncan of Jordanstone in Dundee, Patrick Mitchell focuses on things he sees and experiences everyday, repeatedly drawing or painting the subjects in relation to his own personal perception or mental states.

Tasked with clearing her mother’s house, a house filled with 55 years of memories and family papers, bank statements and such like, Ailsa Magnus, two years on, has shredded much of the paperwork and transformed it into beautiful papier mâché forms…creative recycling.

The exhibition opens on Saturday 12 October at 11am with drinks and meet the artists in the afternoon from 2-5pm and will continue until Sunday 24 November. Hope you can make it into the gallery to see it.

George Birrell, John Brown, Matthew Draper, Jacqueline Orr and Astrid Trügg

31 August to 6 October

Our next exhibition pulls together work from five artists whose work is both bold in style and instantly recognisable. No strangers to previous exhibitions at the gallery, all five are among the most highly regarded and popular artists working in Scotland today. It is a real treat to be able to show a good range of their new work in the same exhibition.

George Birrell’s colourful reimagining of the sights and sounds of the harbours and castles found along the East Coast of Scotland are well loved and widely collected.  It is always great to see a new collection of George’s work in the gallery.

We move from George’s harbours and castles of the East Neuk to the souks and kasbahs of Morocco and the colourful, coastal villages of Gambia with the latest work of John Brown. John’s work lingers along the borders of abstraction and the representational but the combination of composition, searingly vibrant colours and texture, transports the viewer to these colourful and animated communities.

Matthew Draper brings us back to the East coast of Scotland with a series of new studies of his favourite muse, Bass Rock. The Rock and the ever-changing light that plays out on it, has captivated artists for centuries. Using pastel or charcoal Matt’s studies of Bass Rock are acutely observed and depending on the weather, can portray the rock dramatically spotlit with ethereal light breaking through a crack in the clouds or as the haar shrouded muse emerging on a summer’s morning.

It has been a few years since we had a selection of Jacqueline Orr’s work in the gallery so it is great to welcome her back. I am a big fan of her painting. Economic with her brushstrokes but big, bold and confident, bursting with colour. The study of light and colour dominates her painting practice and the subjects chosen, whether French, Spanish or Scottish imagery are simply vehicles which allow her to.

Astrid Trügg is another regular exhibitor with the gallery however, it is great to have her exhibiting a good selection of paintings in a small group show to really demonstrate the quality of her work. Like the others in the exhibition, Astrid has a uniquely identifiable style. Drawn to interesting everyday objects, Astrid has most recently concentrated on still life subjects. Her use of gesso and glue mixed with pure mill-ground pigments, such as lapis lazuli, creates a textured surface with incredibly vibrant colours into which she adds interesting antique newspaper cuttings which adds to the texture and narrative.

The exhibition opens on Saturday 31 August at 11am but we will have refreshments available and the chance to meet some of the artists from 2 until 5pm.

Hope to see you there.

This year’s Summer Exhibition kicks off on 15 June and continues until 25 August.

Our Summer Exhibition features a variety of new work from established gallery artists as well as pieces from a few new faces.

This year we have work from: Rosy Barnes, Kate Bentley, George Birrell, Georgina Bown, Davy Brown, Alan Connell, Ian Cook, Ann Cowan, Stephanie Dees, Fee Dickson Reid, Aine Divine, Matthew Draper, Michael Durning, Ronnie Fulton, Neal Greig, Andy Heald, Sarah Lawson, Steven Lindsay, Sam MacDonald, Liz Maclarty Jones (Winner of Dunbar Arts Landscape Artist of the Year 2023), Ged Lerpiniere, Ian Neill, Paul Reid, David Schofield, Ali Scott, Jayne Stokes & Christopher Wood.

We will open at 11am on Saturday 15 June but will have refreshments and a chance to meet some of the artists from 2-5pm…hopefully the sun will be shining!

 

27 April to 9 June

Featuring painting by Chris Brook RSW, Dominique Cameron RSW, John Kingsley DA RSW PAI, Simon Laurie RSW RGI & Ronald F Smith RSW RGI PAI and 3d sculptural work by Ailsa Magnus MRSS & Lorraine Robson VAS SSA.

Opening at 11am Saturday 27 April with refreshments and meet the artists from 2-5pm.

Our next exhibition is quite a contrast to the detailed drawing and representational nature of the work by the 5 artists in 5@Fidra. Any narrative in the work in Abstracted, might be less clear but will appeal more to memory and emotions.

In this exhibition most of the work bears some representational connection with the subject but all have been distilled into a simpler, purer and expressive interpretation.

A skillful combination of form, composition and colour balance in the painting of Chris Brook, Dominique Cameron, Simon Laurie and Ronald F Smith alongside the more expressively abstract riots of colour by John Kingsley.

First time showing at the gallery, Lorraine Robson’s beautiful 3D, ceramic, wall hanging, organic relief sculptures evoke a real sense of calm and connection with the natural world.

The organic inspiration continues in Ailsa Magnus’s free-standing wooden forms. These timeless native hardwood sculptures are both beautiful and irresistibly tactile.

5@Fidra

Rosemary Beaton RGI, June Carey RSW RGI PAI ASWA SSA, Alice McMurrough RGI RSW PAI, Heather Nevay RGI & Helen Wilson RGI RSW PAI

9 March to 21 April

The exhibition opens at 11am on Saturday 9 March but between 2 and 5pm refreshments will be served as well as a chance to meet the artists.

 

They are all respected painters with decades worth of experience, big individual fan bases and countless awards to their names, but until a few years ago, Rosemary Beaton, Alice McMurrough, Heather Nevay and Helen Wilson, all said they felt intimidated by printmaking.

Today, thanks to the gentle encouragement of master printmaker and painter June Carey, they have taken on the challenge of the ancient art form regardless, and are now members of Glasgow Print Studio (GPS), where they have embraced ancient techniques like etching, monoprinting and screenprinting.

In 2021, the five artists who trained at different times at Glasgow School of Art (GSA), held a joint exhibition of original prints and paintings at the print studio in 2021. The show, 5@GPS, was a critical success so having spoken to the group we thought it would be good to bring a similar mix of their work to Gullane.

According to Stirling-based June Carey, who acted as a catalyst for the group coming together six years ago, the artists all bonded over sessions at Glasgow’s world-class print studio.

She explains: “It all started in 2017, when I bumped into my friend, the fantastic painter Helen Wilson. Over coffee, Helen told me she’d done etching at art school but had never returned to it, even though she’d like to. She said she felt a bit embarrassed about picking it up again and I thought, this won’t do.”

June subsequently booked her old friend into an etching workshop with GPS’ resident Etching Master, Stuart Duffin.

She adds: “Heather and Alice said they would also like to learn how to etch so I booked them into a weekend course. They loved it. Then I went to a big exhibition of Rosemary’s paintings and, after telling her all about it, she said she’d like to learn printmaking too.

“They all became members of the Print Studio and it turned into us having great days together; having a laugh, becoming firm friends and creating brilliant prints.”

Three years on from their first show as a group, the artists are looking forward to exhibiting a mix of paintings and prints at Fidra.

“They are all superb artists,” says June. “The gift of art is there with us all, but with printmaking, you need to learn the technical side.

“Like me, Helen, Heather and Alice all have drawing at the root of everything they do. Etching suits our work because you draw into a plate. Rosemary is more expressive as a painter and colour is at the heart of everything she does, so she has been drawn to screenprinting in the print studio.”

There is a real sense of artistic adventuring in the work of all five artists. It’s like all the artists, whose work I admired individually before they started working together, have been challenged and stimulated by the experience of being in Glasgow Print Studio together.

June is renowned as a printmaker, but even she says that working with the others as a group and going back to basics when asked by them about various techniques has helped in her own work. The work I have seen so far is exciting and varied and will make a great exhibition, I can’t wait to welcome the Fab 5 to Fidra.

Hope to you can make it along.

Land & Sea

Kirstie Behrens, Andy Heald & John McClenaghen

27 January to 3 March 2024

Our first exhibition of 2024 features the work of three landscape artists.

John and Andy’s work is very expressive and largely worked en plein air, responding to the changes in the environment around them. Their work focusses on the landscape around the coast of East Lothian so it will be interesting to see how they approach a similar subject in a similar way.

Kirstie’s work is a real contrast to the expressive painting of John & Andy. Kirstie’s collection of etchings evolve from drawings and paintings on location and then worked on back in the studio before committing the drawing to the plate and the subsequent alchemy of the printing process. Her etchings in this exhibition feature the rugged Highland landscape as well as some of the woodland near her home in Fife.

The exhibition will open on Saturday 27 January at 11am and refreshments and a chance to chat to the artists from 2-5pm.

Hope you can make it.

Winter Exhibition

11 November 2023 to 21 January 2024

Reinhard Behrens, George Birrell, Georgina Bown, Chris Brook, Colin Brown, Davy Brown, Dominique Cameron, Thomas Cameron, Alan Connell, Joseph Davie, Fee Dickson-Reid, Matthew Draper, Michael Durning, Ronnie Fulton, Jennifer Irvine, Simon Laurie, Sarah Lawson, Neil Macdonald, Sam MacDonald, Linda MacKinnon, Donald Manson, Rachel Marshall, Alison McWhirter, Paul Reid, Pascale Rentsch, Kelly Stewart, Jayne Stokes, Astrid Trügg, Jane Walker, Chris Watkins & Christopher Wood.

Please note our Winter opening hours for the duration of the Winter Exhibition – Open Wednesday to Saturday 11-4, Sunday 12-4, closed Monday and open by appointment only on Tuesday.

 

Henry H. Fraser, Komachi Goto, Simon Laurie RSW RGI, Stephanie Mills, Angela Repping, Peter Thomson & Graeme Wilcox with sculpture by Alejandro Lopez

23 September to 5 November

Our next exhibition returns to the small group format, this time, focusing on the Portrait.

One of the oldest art forms, portraiture recorded the appearance of individuals and was used to portray social standing, integrity, wealth and religious or political convictions.

With the advent of photography, and today’s ubiquitous mobile phone, everyone can, to some degree, produce good portraits. Being able to get beyond a likeness, however, and instilling an emotion or prompting a reaction with the viewer, really exploring the essence of the human condition, takes portraiture to an entirely different level.

We have invited 8 artists who have very different approaches to portraiture and figurative art. The group have produced a varied, interesting, and thoughtful collection which I am sure you will enjoy.

The exhibition opens at 11am on Saturday 23 September with refreshments served between 2 and 5pm when several of the artists will be around to discuss their work.

Summer Exhibition

24 June – 17 September

Our summer show features varied collection of work from a number of familiar gallery artists as well as a couple of new faces. Recently elected to the RSW and the RGI, I have long admired Saul Robertson’s intriguing narrative style, so I’m delighted that he is showing a couple of pieces with us this summer. Also showing with us for the first time is East Lothian artist Kenneth Blues Wilson who will be showing two local landscapes. For all those wild swimmers out there, we have two beautiful bronze “Sea Swimmer” sculptures by Jane Smith and an outstanding monochrome “Bather” portrait by Graeme Wilcox. With around 50 pieces to hang there should be something for everyone in this exhibition.

Featuring:

George Birrell, Georgina Bown, Davy Brown, John Brown, Alan Connell, Ann Cowan, Amy Dennis, Fee Dickson Reid, Matthew Draper, Alison Dunlop, Ronnie Fulton, Neal Greig, Andy Heald, Kate Henderson, Phill Jupitus, Alex Knubley, Simon Laurie, Sarah Lawson, Rachel Marshall, John McClenaghen, Ian Neill, Ann Oram, Allan Robertson, Saul Robertson, Arran Ross, Michel Rulliere, Jane Smith, Jayne Stokes, Astrid Trügg, Graeme Wilcox, Kenneth Blues Wilson & Adrian Wiszniewski.

Up with the Larks

Dominique Cameron

6 May to 18 June

“This is a landscape exhibition of process, from figuration toward abstraction. The works include a series of drawings from a traditional, single point of view and move toward a more painterly abstraction that owes more to storytelling, becoming a narrative journey through the landscape. The title – ‘Up with the Larks’ references my own curiosity in exploring  Scotland and the encounters in meeting and making new stories of our landscape.”

Dominique Cameron