Winter Exhibition Opening

SAM CARTMAN Castrocielo oil on board

Our Winter Exhibition Opens this Saturday, the 23rd of November. We are busy getting everything ready and admiring all the fabulous work that has come into the gallery. It really is exciting.

Please join us for a glass of mulled wine between 11am and 1pm and view the new show. A lot of the work is available to view on our web site here. I will be adding more images over the next few days.

We are delighted that artist John Threlfall will be joining us in the gallery to sign copies of his beautiful new book Drawn to the Edge.

Pop Socks

LEO BLAMIRE Pop Socks oil on gesso panel

Leo had more good news this week. His painting 'Pop Socks' has been accepted into the Royal Scottish Academy Open Exhibition. The exhibition opens on Saturday. You can read the opening times here.

Prizes at The RGI

LEO BLAMIRE   The Conversation  oil on gesso panel

We are delighted to announce that my brother Leo Blamire got two paintings into the Royal Glasgow Institute Annual Exhibition.

Both paintings won prizes: The Conversation won the David Cargill Award for an artist under 35 and Summer Gazing won the Art Exposure Gallery Award for painting.

LEO BLAMIRE   Summer Gazing  oil on gesso panel

I'm looking forward to the party on Saturday!

Sky Arts Portrait Artist Of The Year

The Sky Arts Portrait Artist of The Year starts of Tuesday night at 8pm.

We are really looking forward to it as one of the participants in none other than Ewan McClure. I know Ewan has really enjoyed the whole process and we don't know what the final outcome is!

There are six episodes set in London, Glasgow, Dublin, Cardiff and Paris, with the final episode at the National Portrait Gallery in London. The winner will paint Hilary Mantel and the portrait will hang in The British Library.

Photos from Sue Dunne's demo

Some photos from the Sue Dunne demonstration in the gallery on Saturday. We had a great time finding out how Sue makes her tiles using plants, feathers and wooden 'egg' stamps.

We have lots of new tiles and pots in the gallery by Sue. Especially popular at this time of year is her design with berries including brambles, rosehip, and hawthorn.

Thank you Sue for a really enjoyable Saturday afternoon.

Sue Dunne Ceramic Demonstration

Join us on Saturday 19th October for a fascinating insight into the work of Ceramic Artist Sue Dunne.

Sue will be demonstrating how she uses flowers, twigs, seeds, leaves and berries in her earthenware ceramics. Sue will show how she makes plant moulds and will be constructing small tiles to show her processes. She is happy to answer questions about her work.

Drinks will be served in the gallery and you can drop in any time between 2 - 4 pm.

The gallery is open as normal the rest of the day.

Wigtown Book Festival

Jill outside Reading Lasses Cafe and Women's Book Shop

Wigtown Book Festival is over for another year. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I LOVE the Wigtown Book Festival and this year was just as brilliant as ever. I would happily stay there for the whole ten days. With the gallery to look after we managed two days each and had a wonderful time.

The book festival is really a giant conversation with the most wide ranging group of people on a diverse range of subjects. The conversation spills out onto the street and into the cafes and you always bring it home with you too. I've had such interesting chats with people in the gallery who have been to the festival and I know I will continue to do so.

I'm already looking forward to Wigtown Book Festival 2014.