Category: Exhibitions

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.

We are often encouraged to look up so as not to miss the world around us – skyscapes in the countryside or the often missed architecture of the city. The artists in our next show encourage us to pause and take another look at the urban landscapes we pass through each day. Each with a different style, all three urge us to look for beauty and charm in places or situations we might otherwise pass by.

We are delighted to welcome three hugely talented artists who are really beginning to make a name for themselves and who are regularly showing and winning prizes at the RSA, RGI and PAI.

Cate Inglis, a graduate of Glasgow School of Art, has just completed her first solo show at the Open Eye Gallery in Edinburgh. Cate’s interests lie in the transient nature of the urban environment, in particular the often melancholic and nostalgic beauty that can be found with neglected buildings that once thrived with life but now lie forgotten and derelict.

Jayne Stokes from North Berwick, a graduate of Edinburgh College of Art, is similarly inspired by the fleeting relationship we have with our environment. Often drawn to studying places that have perhaps seen better days, Jayne also manages to convey a feeling of nostalgia for the personality and character of now overlooked places.

Thomas Cameron graduated from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design in Dundee in 2014 and had his first solo show at the Sutton Gallery in Edinburgh last year. Everyday scenes that go unnoticed in our busy lives are also the source of Thomas’s inspiration. His skillful handling of light and thoughtful composition can apply a dignity to an urban landscape that might otherwise have been lost. Influenced by film, he likens his paintings to still frames with the suggestion of a narrative, although often devoid of figures, life never seems far from view in his work.

The show opens with a Preview on Friday 15th April from 6-8pm and continues until Sunday 15th May.

Artwork inspired by global travel and a thirst to study diverse cultures will be on show at two Scottish galleries this March – here at Fidra Fine Art in North Berwick and simultaneously at House for an Art Lover in Glasgow.

Ian Cook’s “Compass Points” is not simply about travel but a genuine curiosity into the life and culture of the world’s indigenous peoples. What started out as a means to seek out creative inspiration for his work, travel has imbued Ian with a deep sense of compassion and tolerance towards other cultures. An empathy that is strongly apparent in his work.

In his own words…

“Virtually all the works in these two exhibitions originate in source and statement from Central and South America and Central Europe. They are a fusion of past and present elements, consisting in some part of biblical/mythical references and contemporary syndromes. Some of them personify man’s relationship with the land he arrogates or the animals he tends; others pertain to folklore and ancient cultural beliefs that still resonate in today’s society. For these reasons the human figure, in its search for greater spiritual understanding and enlightenment, prevails throughout the works.”

Ian’s work is difficult to pigeon-hole. Artistic influences range from Max Beckmann and other North European expressionists to Willem de Kooning and Edward Hopper. W. Gordon Smith in a glowing review of a major exhibition of Ian’s work of 120 paintings in the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, probably best described Ian as a “figurative expressionist” which gives those not familiar with is a work an idea of what to expect.

It is entirely appropriate that such a large body of inspirational work, sourced from extensive travels can be exhibited simultaneously at two galleries spanning the breadth of Scotland. The show at House for an Art Lover is as a result of a prize awarded to Ian for work at the RSW Exhibition in 2015 and by collaborating with Fidra Fine Art in North Berwick, Ian is able to exhibit a broader range of work to a much wider audience.

We will be hosting an Opening here at Fidra Fine Art on Saturday 5th March from 12-5pm which we hope you can join us at. The exhibition will run from 5th March to 10th April here in North Berwick.

The exhibition at House for an Art Lover will run from 8th March to 18th April. An Opening evening will be held at House for an Art Lover on Thursday 10th March from 6-8pm.