Thursday 27 May 2010

Galloway Inspires Work of Top Artists

SANDY MURPHY RSW RGI Winter, Kirkpatrick Irongray oil on board 8 x 8 inches £800


Here's a review of our current exhibition, which was published today in The Galloway News.


Galloway Inspires Work Of Top Artists

The painter of national standing, Sandy Murphy RSW RGI, is exhibiting at McGill Duncan Gallery in Castle Douglas with three highly accomplished printmakers.

Sandy Murphy lives in Ayrshire, but has family connections in Castle Douglas and a specially affinity with the landscapes of Galloway. He makes frequent trips to paint in the region, being particularly drawn to interesting Galloway churches and the Galloway hills, set against atmospheric skies. For this exhibition he has painted the distinctive and instantly recognisable church at Crossmichael as well as the church at Kirkpatrick Irongray. He is also presenting a series of lively flower studies in his distinctive palette. His flower paintings are renowned for their abstract patterned backgrounds. The gallery is also showing two impressive canvases painted on a very large scale. The Bridge at Kendoon is depicted in a semi abstract form and is hung in the front room of the gallery, making a striking impression on visitors as they enter the gallery.

The work of two of the printmakers celebrates the joys of everyday life – as seen in Frans Wesselman’s etchings ‘The Bath’ and ‘Morning Tea’, and Fife based artist Hilke MacInyre’s endearing ceramic panels and linocut prints. Hilke’s ‘Buying Bananas’ depicts a trip to a market and is executed in the style of the very best of Folk Art. All her pieces have been very popular in the gallery.

Linda Farquharson is an incredibly skilled linocut artist. For this exhibition she is showing a series of prints based on Milton’s epic poem ‘Paradise Lost’. The gallery has a piece of the lino that Linda used to make one of the prints and it shows her crisp, clean lines and concise way of working.

Surrey based potter Margaret Brampton sent a wonderful collection of her slipware pottery to Castle Douglas. She is a master of Sgraffito lettering and line drawing. For this exhibition she has decorated bowls and jugs with insects and feathers, glazing her pots with beautiful soft pastel colours.

The exhibition is on now and runs until the 10th of July. Further information can be found at www.mcgillduncangallery.com


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