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Featured Artist

Call Rosie Clark on:
T: +44 (0)1557 330223
F: 01557 - 331162
info@whitehousegallery.com
The Whitehouse Gallery,
47 St. Mary Street,
Kirkcudbright,
Scotland,
DG6 4DU

‘BRIGHT BLOSSOMS & STRANGE BIRDS’

Saturday 12th April – Sunday 18th May, 2008

The Whitehouse Gallery, Kirkcudbright, is exploring the theme of flora and bird-life in its second exhibition of 2008.  Borrowing from William Morris’s textile design ‘Bright Blossoms & Strange Birds’ this exhibition features eight Fine Artists, with a collection of Applied Arts & Crafts. 

Featured painters such as Sally Carlaw and Suzan Malcolm are predominantly inspired by nature.  Sally Carlaw approaches her depiction of the natural world through the language of colour, following in the vein of the Scottish Colourists.  What results are striking works, each one with its own personality, capturing flora and bird-life beautifully.  Likewise, Suzan Malcolm is fascinated with portraying the colours of flowers in her paintings, finding “..the paradox of capturing flowers strong vibrant colours while also describing their transient delicate beauty [as] the most wonderful starting tool for my paintings”.  As a freelance botanical artist, Suzan has ensured that she knows her flora.  Although she does like to go beyond realism in her paintings at times, her work is “.. largely full of joy and light, just like a garden should be.”

James Fraser, Liz Mackay and Jenny Hulse all share a passion for creating still life paintings.  James has a distinctive textured, abstract style which is unmistakably his own.  His unique way of painting uses a whole range of materials to emphasise his subject.  Liz Mackay prefers to use a stylized table as a recurring theme in her work, likening it to “..the picture frame as theatre, the table as stage and the objects as the cast.”    Jenny Hulse paints static objects – usually everyday objects from around her such as flowers, or domestic objects that she loves - and makes them almost vibrate with energy.  Her use of colour, texture and line often verge on the abstract, creating interesting spatial ambiguities that add new dimensions into the still life.

Other fine artists include local painter Valerie Sadler, who is inspired by the surrounding Galloway landscape and gardens, which have led her to study numerous flowers in her work.  Pamela Grace creates prints, ink drawings and sketches which strive to reveal hidden ‘microlandscapes’, glimpses of woodlands and gardens. Last but by no means least,  Jane Blair embarks on a series of still life paintings using gold and silver leaf to “pick out the negative shape, or emphasise and highlight”.

To compliment the selection of fine art, there will be a fine selection of applied arts and crafts  from Stuart Ackroyd (glass), Will Broughton (stoneware), Phil Crennell (furniture), Shona Guthrie (jewellery), Paul Jenkins (sculpture), Trevor Leat (basket work), Willie Little (turned wood & sculpture), Pistachio (jewellery), Urpu Sellar (ceramic sculpture), Paul Jenkins & Elizabeth Waugh (resin bronze & bronze sculpture), David Constantine White (ceramics) and more. 

The Exhibition preview opening is on Saturday 12th April, from 11am.  All are welcome for a complimentary glass of bubbly, and handmade, locally produced, award-winning chocolates.

Please browse through our fine selection of art in the gallery, by clicking on the links at the top of this page.