TAKE THREE (II)

Hello everyone,

Whilst doing the dishes the other morning I was thinking about some of the extraordinary art currently showing in the Christmas Exhibition. It occurred to me that, by chance, there's something of a threesome going on. For example:

'Trinity', non tarnish silver coated copper wire, collected dove feathers, abalone shell by Marcela Trsova.
A very beautiful installation which casts the most delicate shadows that dance on the walls.

'See no Fish, Here no Fish, Catch no Fish', acrylic on canvas by James Newton Adams.
I love their bright yellow, rubbery gloves.

'Three Sisters', digital painting by Kevin Low.
Otherworldly and enchanting, the attention to detail in the girl's clothes is very touching.

'Three Blind Mice' oil on panel by Dylan Lisle.
An impressive and powerful triptych that depicts his subjects with mind boggling detail.

'Waiting for The Tide', finest lead-free pewter on olivewood by Carl Newman.
There's nothing lovelier than a nice piece of wood, so tactile and I love how the wood grain mimics the tidelines in the sand.

So as you can see there's something for everyone in UG's 2013 Christmas Exhibition. If 3 is your lucky number then perhaps this selection might appeal to you.

Have a great weekend all!

The Height of Sophistication

Hello everyone,

In my last blog I promised we would take a closer look at something fishy in our Autumn exhibition.
Here it is:

'See no Fish, Hear no Fish, Catch no Fish', acrylic on canvas by James Newton Adams.

OK, so the fishermen might look a little comical with their big yellow gloves and rubbery red overalls, but James Newton Adams is making reference to the very serious issue of the declining fishing industry in Scotland. I love the glum expressions of their faces.

And there's more:

'Mallaig Fishermen' acrylic on canvas by James Newton Adams.

Now this is a painting I really wanted to take a closer look at!
I have often heard people refer to James as a 'niave' or 'primitive' painter. Yes there is a deliberate stylising of the figures, which in themselves appear childlike, and that of course is part of the appeal of James' work, but there's so much more to his work and this is a brilliant example of it.
There is nothing primitive about James' techniques as an artist: indeed every mark on his paintings is premeditated, skillfully rendered.

Just look at that fisherman's head!
In what seems to be an awkward and anatomically impossible face, the gruelling and relentless conditions which he has endured for many years are etched on his chiseled features.
It's so authentic you can practically smell him!
I also really enjoy the movement in this painting. The composition is clever, chopping up the canvas to mimic the choppy seas on which it's all 'niavely' balanced.
It is a buoyant and brilliant painting.

Come back soon to catch more marvels of the Autumn Exhibition :)

Here Comes Autumn!

Hello everyone,

It might be a bit more Indian Summer than a typical Autumn, but hey, who's complaining?

All the more reason to get out and about and enjoy the fine weather!

Join us for a glass of something lovely and enjoy some cracking artworks:

and.......

Meet Joyce Gunn Cairns' 'Hello Dolly' painting. It's just a bit special :)

See you soon.....

Shore Things

For all you lovers of the seaside:

See you there......

Perfect Little Packages of Joy

Hello everyone,

With just a week to go until our first exhibition of 2013, 'It's the Little Things', comes to a close, I thought it would be a good idea to have a closer look at some of the cracking little paintings hanging in the gallery at the moment.

We should start with this:

'Gone Potty', acrylic on card, by James Newton Adams.
Whenever we are lucky enough to have new work from Skye-based artist James Newton Adams in the gallery, it always creates a stir.  His ability to mix naive charm with a slight sense of melancholy in his work life seems to strike a chord with all who view it.  He is a chronicler of the world around him, exploring the land and seascapes of Scotland as well as the people, animals and objects that inhabit them, often highlighting tensions in their relationships with each other and with the landscape itself.  It is always a pleasure to have his playful, charming scenes of everyday life in the gallery.

And how about this?

'Highland Hiker', oil on canvas, by Henry Kondracki.
Edinburgh institution, Henry Kondracki, is famous for his stunning, and often quirky, views of Scotland.  He is perhaps best known for his larger scale work, yet this little gem is tiny - just 14x14cm and is absolutely exquisite in every detail.  I often feel that it takes a great painter to create something so perfect on such a small scale, and Henry Kondracki has proved it yet again.

As has artist Olivia Irvine with this:

'Woods', oil and egg tempera on canvas, by Olivia Irvine.
We've been  exhibiting work by Olivia Irvine since we opened, back in 2009, and she never fails to get me going with her beautiful, atmospheric work.  This beauty is just 14x10cm in size, and is all the more special for that.  Olivia takes her subject matter from her house and garden, family holidays and themes of childhood and play and recently she has been inspired by swimming pools in Iceland, campsites in the French Pyrenees and rose gardens in Madrid. Often her works explore a combination of natural and man-made elements, and they all have a rather 'other-wordly' atmosphere to them - less to do with observed reality and more to do with the creation of a world of fascination and engagement.  This stunning painting is no exception.

I have given you just a flavour of the special small paintings on show at Union Gallery at the moment, and there are many more.  if you haven't managed to come in yet, I really recommend that you do - it is a really wonderful exhibition.

Gone Potty!

Hello everyone

Here's a couple of photos from Thursday night's opening which was great fun! Thanks to all who came along and made it such an enjoyable evening. A great way to start the new year!

Many thanks to artist Ian Rawnsley for traveling over from Glasgow to make the opening. I really like this photo of him standing in front of his latest work which is of his usual excellent standard.
'Rannoch Moor' in particular is a belter!

'Rannoch Moor', oil on board by Ian Rawnsley.

All smiles....

Recently graduated Martyn McKenzie spent his Christmas working away on his paintings for the 'It's The Little Things' exhibition. It was well worth it and 'Old Chain Pier' actually had people fighting over it!

'Old Chain Pier', oil and pencil on panel by Martyn Mckenzie.

I can understand why. It's beautifully done and has such a lovely feel to it.

Here are Martyn's pieces together:

'Estuary East. Studies', oil and pencil on panel, by Martyn McKenzie.

Lastly I must apologise to artist James Newton Adams who came down all the way from Skye to attend the opening. My famous camera skills went potty and you came out too blurred to appear on this blog. Sorry James!
His new work is fantastic and I'm enjoying looking at this one everyday:

'Gone Potty', acrylic on card by James Newton Adams.

Speak soon!

Passing The Sutor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

'Passing The Sutor', acrylic on card by James Newton Adams.

I come here every day I love it when my jumper matches the boat.

Today red. A little jackpot. I'll maybe see her, our dogs are quite friendly now and last time she laughed.

If only I would just say it.

'Passing The Sutor' by Iain Finlay Macleod.

An Explanation

Hello everyone,

You might have noticed that, over the past few weeks, we have been blogging paintings by James Newton Adams, accompanied by poems written by Iain Finlay Mcleod.  I think it's time to explain.....

Writer, poet and award-winning film director Iain Finlay Mcleod spent time last summer as writer in residence for the Cromarty Arts Trust.  Whilst there, he produced a series of poems in his native Gaelic tongue, which artist James Newton Adams then used as the basis for a series of beautiful paintings.  Entitled 'The Cromarty Series', these works were then exhibited in Cromarty, and we are delighted to now have them at UG as part of our current exhibition, Poetic Licence.  The work is extremely effective, and the poems and paintings compliment each other superbly.  The Cromarty Arts Trust said: "We think the poems and images capture the essence of life in Cromarty in a beautiful way".  Praise indeed.

So, if you've been to Cromarty and want to be reminded of its charms, or if you've never been but would like to know more about it, UG is the place to be until 27 February.

Here's another one:

'Cul-de-sac', acrylic on card, by James Newton Adams.

Now I’m stuck.

They take parking

very seriously here.

I’ve messed up.

That man with the red car

he’s a liability

they’ll say.

Dawdling and revving

keeping everyone up

looking at the moon.

Cul-de-sac, by Iain Finlay Mcleod.

Speak soon.

The Boat in the Window

The Boat in the Window

Well. This is lovely

being in the window.

I don’t have to worry

about back breaking storms

barnacles and sprung butts

or fishscales on my deck.

I’m done with blood.

I’ve a fine view.

People like to see me

on their way to the harbour.

It does sometimes though

make me a little sad

when she opens the window

and I smell the sea.

 

by Iain Finlay Mcleod

'The Boat in the Window', by James Newton Adams.

Horsepower

HORSEPOWER

The horses look
at all that power
the classic car club
in strict formation
like men o’ war
painted and polished
good enough
to meet the Queen. 
'Horsepower' by Iain Finlay MacLeod.

'Horsepower', oil on canvas by James Newton Adams.

Ahab

AHAB

He’s not looking my way.
I know why!
Look at this beauty
and his creels are empty
And the village is watching
I knew it, I said
I’ve hooked this monster before
But people never believe
a man with his feet on the ground
will amount to much.
Get the chips on, darling
I’m king of the world.



'Ahab' by Iain Finlay Macleod.

'Ahab', oil on canvas by James Newton Adams.

Some Of These Things

'Golden Chain', oil and egg tempera on canvas by Olivia Irvine. 

Some of These Things

Imagine some of these things

Not just the glint of a hard, blue glacier

Nor the curl of wrought iron on a bench by the Seine

Not even the haunting music from a pink house,

Chanced upon on a midnight walk

But old, blotched walls

A carpet, faded and worn

A diving platform, a broken parasol, a creaky hinge

And a heart drawn hastily on a greasy window

Imagine and be there

Where the bright leaves dance in the tangled dell

And the rose trellises carve out spaces in the sky

Stay a while and touch the smooth, orange beacons

Left by lopped off branches on the crumbly trunks

Open the cupboard where the imaginary thing lives

Hit that soaring, plastic shuttlecock

Maybe you once had the shell I put in my pocket for a while

Sat on that same lonely, stony shore

And swung on that same peeling gate

Even so

I want to show you the actual tent poles and the signposts

The spotted dresses, the lampposts, the trodden path

I want you to see for yourself

The exact spot we hid the treasure

Feel for yourself the curl of the fine chain on your hand

The drag of a bag on the floor

The soft folds of that curtain drawn aside

Hear the ringing ankle bells

The buffeting whip of a kite

And the crisp turning of another page

Olivia Irvine               January 2012

Poetic Licence

'Passing The Sutor', acrylic on card by James Newton Adams.

I come here every day I love it when my jumper matches the boat.

Today red. A little jackpot. I'll maybe see her, our dogs are quite friendly now and last time she laughed.

If only I would just say it.

'Passing The Sutor' by Iain Finlay Macleod.

Various Visitors

Hello everyone

Just thought we'd share with you some snaps of some of the lovely artists who have been in to UG in the last week.
We should kick off with this:

This is Joyce Gunn Cairns MBE.  We are starting with Joyce because her work is going to make a serious splash next week in our new exhibition 'Head to Head' which opens on Thursday.  Joyce's work had been in the gallery for just five minutes and it was already attracting a lot of attention....you must see it!

This is the lovely Henry Kondracki who has been very busy finishing off various commissions for some very happy new owners.  Well done, Henry.

The charming 'Adams Family'.  This is James Newton Adams and co. enjoying a holiday from their home on the Isle of Skye.  We are excited about seeing more work from James in January 2012.  We will keep you posted.

Here is the brilliant Stewart Bremner's back.  Stewart has been helping out a lot at UG recently (thanks, S!), and here he is installing the camera to make the 'Now We Are Two' opening video.  Is no limit to his creative talents?
And this:

Richard Demarco, Alison Auldjo and Stewart Bremner enjoyed an interesting chat in the gallery the other day....
Et Enfin:

Beautiful artist Imogen Alabaster delivering a truly magical painting featuring some frogs at the special request a lovely French couple.  They are delighted.

Au revoir, mes amis