The Whitehouse Gallery in Kirkcudbright is to host the tenth of its annual ‘Country Pursuits’ exhibitions, focusing upon different interpretations of the rural life theme. The exhibition will open from 11am on Saturday 13th September, and will run through until Sat 1st November. All are welcome to attend the opening, and enjoy a glass of fizz and chocolates by the Cocoa Bean Company.
David Greenall and his wife Ruth O’Dell live on the Isle of Lewis, and their everyday experiences of rural life are captured through their painting. Greenall’s landscape paintings are infused with a knowledge and understanding of light, and by mixing his own colours from raw pigments and blending mediums such as wax, resin, oil and egg tempura, he produces works of great vigour. In contrast, Ruth O’Dells pastel works are small and intimate, capturing moments of everyday life in Lewis from the winter feeing of sheep in the snow, the first spring lambs, to turfing and cutting the peats in early summer. O’Dells captures wildlife in a sensitive fashion, and her work is full of charm and vitality.
From the Isle of Lewis to Ireland, we are pleased to welcome renowned Irish artist Neal Greig to the list of exhibitors. Greig aims to capture the beautiful, rich and changing Irish landscapes and translate them into exceptional, dramatic and powerful art works for others to enjoy.
Another new addition to the gallery, Janet Cleghorn’s interpretation of the rural theme is rather interesting, by taking traditional everyday objects which carry a sense of nostalgia and giving them a contemporary feel. You can see Cleghorn’s background in textiles is a large influence in her work.
Injecting some colour and fun into the exhibition will be Claire West, with her happy paintings. West believes in the power of colour therapy in uplifting the spirit, so her work explores colour and its vibrant and intense nature. She works on canvas in acrylics and inks, preferring to layer the paint to add texture to the work.
Although a familiar name to the gallery for her mixed media sculpture and framed wall pieces, Shirley Vauvelle will be providing some of her paintings for the first time. Shirley’s paintings explore colour, texture and space on the canvas rather than representational responses to the moments that inspire her. Like West, Vauvelle loves to layer paint to add texture, and creates energy by rubbing away or using different instruments to mark the paint with. Vauvelle will also be exhibiting some of her gorgeous freestanding and wall hung sculptural pieces.
Returning to the gallery will be four of our favourite artists; Pamela Grace, Catherine Rayner, Helen Tabor and Gordon Wilson.
Grace is best known for her solar plate etchings, but in this exhibition we are being treated to some of her original watercolour, pen and ink works, in which she captures the local countryside beautifully. Rayner is an award winning children’s book author and illustrator, who has been exhibiting her wonderful silk screen and original paintings of animals with the gallery for many years. Tabor’s paintings have a certain mystical, ethereal quality to them, whether she is depicting figures and still life or seascapes and landscapes. Tabor’s main interests are in the properties of colour, the effects created by the movement of the paint and the mood created in a painting. Wilson is also interested in colour, with his deep love of the west coast of Scotland shining through in his evocative work. Painting from the heart, Gordon’s expressive oil paintings reflect the ever changing moods of both the countryside and the artist himself.
To complement the fine art, there will be a rich selection of applied art and craft on show, including exquisite jewellery collections by Anna De Ville and Sheena McMaster, ceramic vessels and wall tiles by Jacqui Atkin, ceramic bowls and bird sculpture by Debbie Barber, mixed media horse sculpture by Alexandra Shorey, wire and paper sight-hound sculpture by Lorraine Corrigan, driftwood sculpture by Lynn Muir, wooden sculpture by Michael Lythgoe and textiles by Jo Gallant.
The Whitehouse Gallery is a member of the Own Art scheme.
