Getting ready for Christmas

Our fantastic artists have been working really hard for our Christmas Exhibition, which opens on the 3rd December.

Michael Ashcroft made a special trip to Dumfries and Galloway to do some painting 'en plein air'. Here he is at The Sands in Dumfries, on the banks of the Nith. And here's the painting he made:

We love hearing about what artists are working on and seeing the work they are creating for our exhibitions so I was delighted to get an email from Michael with these photographs.

Our Christmas exhibition is a little different this year. We are taking a break from the 'Galloway' theme and this has allowed us to introduce some completely new artists and curate an exhibition with them alongside artists who are regularly represented in the gallery. Judging by all the fantastic images I've been getting the exhibition is going to be a stunner!

Unpacking

Unpacking - that's what I've been doing a lot recently. We have deliveries of new work from lots of different artists: ceramic reliefs from Hilke MacIntyre, paintings from Aliisa Hyslop,  lustre ware and domestic porcelain from Jonathan Chiswell Jones, prints from Anita Klein and last week new copper work from Allan Craig. The gallery is brimming with gorgeous new art work.

Away from the gallery I've been doing a lot wall paper stripping in my new house. Lots of progress there! It's quite exciting.

New Paintings by Jonathan Mitchell

 JONATHAN MITCHELL The River Tay at Kenmore

We have a fantastic collection of new work by the talented Scottish landscape painter Jonathan Mitchell. You can view the paintings on our web site here.

There is something about the painting above that reminds me of the Claude Monet painting in the recent BBC TV programme, 'Fake or Fortune' although that painting was of a river in France. I've got Jonathan's painting hanging next to my desk in the gallery and it's completely tranquil, I love the dark reflections in the water from the trees on the river bank.

James Faed 1821-1911 Exhibition at The Tolbooth

James Faed by Thomas Faed from www.artistsfootsteps.co.uk

My brother informed me this morning that I would have to put something on my Blog that didn't mention whippets, as he feared people would think I was mad if I posted any more photos of dogs. Ok, I take his point.

This morning, after my Iyengar Yoga class in Kirkcudbright, I went to The Tolbooth to see the James Faed (1821-1911) exhibition. Our gallery has been selling work by the Faed family since it opened in 1980. I saw the Faeds' work in exhibitions at McGill Duncan Gallery when I was a little girl so I've always known about them and understand the importance of this family's work. The exhibition at the Tolbooth, which runs until the 30th October, very much concentrates on James' incredible skill as a mezzotint engraver. One of his mezzotint plates is on display and there is even the notebook in which he kept note of the charges for each mezzotint commission. He was commissioned by his brothers- some of the best painters working at the time- to make mezzotints of their paintings. I think he was quite highly paid, with one mezzotint costing £200. I'm not surprised, as his work is exquisite.

The exhibition explains the print making processes really clearly and along side the mezzotints there are many interesting artifacts. The other part of the exhibition is on display at The Mill On The Fleet in Gatehouse so I'm looking forward to a visit there before the end of October.