Strathpeffer Pavilion, 22-25 November 2007

Clare Blois - Light Breaks Through, oil.

THIS YEAR’S Art Fair organised by Friends of Strathpeffer Pavilion attracted 430 paintings and drawings by amateur and professional artists. As one would expect from an open show the quality of work varies enormously, providing an opportunity for predominantly recreational painters to exhibit alongside more established professional artists.

Landscape, still life and animal paintings form the bulk of the images with a small amount of abstract work and even smaller proportion of figurative or portraiture work.

In a sea of landscapes and flower painting there were several works which immediately stood out due to a combination of technique and level of exploration in relation to subject matter.

Fiona Matheson’s “The Cat’s Back, Strathpeffer” (acrylic) and “Strath View” (mixed media) with their solid landforms and vibrant jewel-like colour were immediately striking. “Strath View” is particularly effective with layers of colour and texture beautifully built up to create a work of depth and weight.

Jim Neville’s “Moonlit Arrangement” (Oil on Canvas) with its naïve Matisse-like brushwork, strong but select colours and flattened perspective is a fine example of the still life genre. In complete contrast but equally accomplished, Margaret McBain’s unique approach to the genre recalls the mysterious and otherworldly pastels of Odilon Redon. Her “White Vase With Daffodils” (Oil) with its pale lamp-like flowers emerging out of darkness and pale body of a vase has real presence.

It is a work that you are compelled to return to in spite of the everyday nature of the objects it depicts. There is interpretation here as well as technique that allow an audience to contemplate these chosen objects beyond their decorative associations. It is a memorable and subdued work with a strong emotional undercurrent.

Bette McArdle’s “The Hurdy Gurdy Man” is an exceptional work that rapidly fixes in the mind. The central male figure darkly cloaked dominates our view of the street scene. Dressed in a top hat he has theatrical presence and we feel that the stage he is about to step on to is our own. Originally conceived as part of a triptych, this painting is commanding of attention on its own as an image of life and death.

“The Hurdy Gurdy Man” with the circular motion of his instrument suggests a cycle of life. He wheels his cross-adorned cart towards the spectator in a confrontation with our own mortality. He is a death figure accompanied by a woman and pram in the background, ending the cycle where it began. The mood of this piece recalls James Ensor and German expressionist works. It is a powerful figurative work with thick impasto, a strong primary palette and lucid brushwork. Although there is a hint of menace in this central figure there is also the suggestion of renewal in the female figure and child which redeems the work.

Allie MacDonald’s “Nightshades on the Riverbank” (Oil on Paper) is a wonderful blend of pastel pinks, warm terracotta and sage greens with fine textures and accented detail in pencil. “Hannah in the Hallway” with its ghostly softness exhibits a lack of definition that is a real strength. The composition of the hallway scene reminded me a great deal of the superb but undervalued Bonnard. “Reflections” sees a portrait emerge out of this beautifully constructed indefinite world while “Yesterday’s Lilies” with its faded interior seeps colour out of daylight.

Janet Souter’s monoprint the “Old Man of Storr” with its elemental brushwork and strong forms in black ink is wonderfully atmospheric while Alan Baillie’s “Sutors” has a more Eastern calligraphic feel. Both are great examples of work in this medium and the art of drawing.

John Wilson’s “Chilly Crow” is absolutely delightful, a charming and illustrative work in gouache. The characterisation of the crow who has stolen a hat from the washing line is excellent and the pattern of the sky in flat opaque colour wonderfully suggestive of the movement of the wind on a cold winter’s day.

“Blue Breaks Through” and “Light Breaks Through” both oils by Clare Blois display a more subdued palette than we might expect from this established artist. Instead of a screaming riot of colour a more balanced approach to painting emerges and we can concentrate on the quality of the brushwork and the tonal variation present in the work. The purples, greys and flash of complimentary ochre shows a greater understanding of colour than equal volume straight out of the tube which grabs attention but doesn’t hold it.

Ullapool artist Barbara Peffer’s oil on paper work “Source” in soft pastel tones depicts a tree bound by a circular base set within a symbolic landscape. Within the branches of the tree a community of nests in cross hatched marks conveys a positive observation of renewal in nature.

The restored Pavilion is a great venue for the exhibition with natural light from overhead during the day giving an open airy setting to view work. The quantity of submissions is a great indicator of a healthy recreational art scene in the Highlands and an opportunity for artists at all stages of their development to exhibit. Being able to see work in the context of this whole spectrum is an important tool for personal growth and creative development.

© Georgina Coburn, 2007

Links

• Strathpeffer Pavilion