Joe McIntyre Visit

This afternoon Joe delivered his work for the new exhibition which opens on Sunday the 7th of September. One of the nicest parts of our job is seeing new work when it comes into the Gallery and Jill and I are really excited about the calibre of work for the upcoming show. Joe's use of colour and light is remarkable. Urban scenes: Chicago, London, Berlin and Joe's home turf of Dundee depict cafes, shop windows and streets. Sometimes the streets are deserted and the sunlight and shadows set the mood but in Joe's figurative work keen observation of people and their exchanges transport you to the moment.

Joe also brought Barbara Robertson's lino cuts...I can't wait to unwrap them tomorrow.

Zoe

Gustav Klimt ~ Tate Liverpool

Portrait of Eugenia Primavesi 1913-14

Jill and I had a really enjoyable weekend in Liverpool, visiting the Gustav Klimt exhibition at the Tate. The exhibition was skilfully curated with his work set in the context of the day. The work of his contemporaries, and his collaborations with them, gave you a real feel for the buzzing creativity in pre war Vienna. I loved his landscapes, all on square canvases in an impressionistic style.

We also went to the Walker Art gallery and saw a really beautiful Hornel that had been bought directly from Hornel himself. Another gem was an early James Mackintosh Patrick of a steading in Eskdalemuir.

Of course we couldn’t make a trip to Liverpool without going on a ‘Magical Mystery Tour’ of Beatles’ homes and haunts…Strawberry Fields, Penny Lane and the Cavern.

The Klimt finishes at the end of August and the curator has said he doubts all the work will ever be brought together in this way again. I recommend a visit.

30 years with Bourne Fine Art

Charles Oppenheimer RSA RSW Mill Pool

Our new Exhibition with Bourne Fine Art opened today. I remember coming here as a child for the Galloway exhibitions. The atmosphere of the place is so clear in my memory, the table lamps lighting a dark but welcoming interior, the bowls of mints, the flock of familiar faces…and here I am, age 31, celebrating 30 years of these enchanting exhibitions in the Gallery. It looks quite different now, but we hope still has the original charm.

When the paintings arrived last week Jill and I had a most enjoyable afternoon unwrapping all the works. The printed catalogue is lovely but in reality the light and detail in the paintings shines in a way that only an original painting can.

The Gallery was bursting at the seams this morning with people drinking Pimms and catching up with old friends. It was lovely to see the place so full of people and hear all the enthusiasm for the paintings.

The exhibition runs until the 30th of August.

Cheers!

Zoe

Our lovely new sign

Our lovely new sign has just arrived and the Gallery bird is now perched proudly above the door. The sign was made by our neighbours at Rancher and the bird logo was developed by Point Size Wolffe using my bird drawing. Thanks Jeremy for getting the bird to the right size and colour ready for the lazer cutting! We're really pleased with it. It is almost a year since we opened and it's great to see our new logo being used in many creative ways.

Zoe