Creativity is on show for artists
Coastlines inspire latest exhibition at Blackruthven
A number of local artists are showcasing their work as part of an exhibition at the Bield at Blackruthven which opens this weekend.
East Perthshire’s Jan Miller, Rachel Bower, Tricia Brown, Deirdre Gittins, Maria Nordgren and Margaret Stanford are all members of Fusation, an eclectic group of artists formed in 2013 which aims to fuse art with craft.
The group held a successful exhibition ‘Up Close and Colourful’ at the Bield Barn Gallery near Tibbermore in 2014 and returns this month with their new exhibition of original work entitled ‘Coastlines’.
Explorations of the hugely diverse and challenging Scottish coastline as a group and as individuals has provided fertile ground for each artist’s interpretation and the results form the basis of the exhibition.
The artists in Fusation range from painters to textile artists and include a ceramicist and a willow weaver. As well as the east Perthshire contingent, other members of the group are Tessa Mendez, Jan Reid and Maureen Shepherd.
Commenting before the exhibition opened, Jan said: “As a botanical illustrator this exhibition presented me with the possibility of combining two of my obsessions, plants and the coast.
“There is an abundance of plant life ranging from plants that grow on or near the beach, such as yellow horned-poppy and Scottish scurvy-grass, to plants that grow almost anywhere like yarrow and ragwort. Researching their structure and beauty, often using a lens or microscope, adds to the enjoyment.
“Even small plants like sea stork’s-bill become amazing when you can see magnified seeds or hairs and subtle variations of colour at 10 or 20 times their natural size. What a privilege to draw them!”
Rachel, who has recently opened a creative space for artists on Reform Street in Blairgowrie, added that interests and beliefs passed on from different lines within her family converged in her work for ‘Coastlines.’
She said: “The Angus coastline has provided inspiration over the years in the guise of dog walks, family adventures or a snatched moment of solitude, with every outing resulting in a treasure trove of quirky objects making their way home.
“I have a passion for craft, an obsession with feathered creatures and a love of seascapes which have interwoven to form the backdrop for my latest work which comprise baskets and sculptures combining driftwood and rope along with willow and wire.”
Deirdre is a mixed media artist and for this exhibition she is concentrating on the action of the waves, which sculpt the cliffs and deposit a huge variety of flotsam and jetsam.
Along the tideline of seaweed and man-made rubbish, there are shells, sea glass, pebbles and foam which she describes as “a never ending source of inspiration”.
Margaret, from Alyth, makes art and craft items in textiles, mixed media and hand-made paper and is inspired by the colours and patterns found in the natural and man-made world.
Maria – who grew up on the coast of the Baltic Sea in Sweden and now lives in Alyth – has always considered coastal landscapes a great inspiration for her ceramics.
Fusation will be exhibiting ‘Coastlines’ from August 13-21 at the Barn Gallery, The Bield at Blackruthven, Tibbermore.
Opening times are 10am to 4pm every day, including Mondays when the Bield is usually closed.
For directions and further information go to www. bieldatblackruthven.org.uk
The Angus coastline has provided inspiration over the years Rachel Bower