The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
The Atrium, Fairmont, St Andrews until October 16
LOCATED JUST outside St Andrews, Fairmont resort is renowned for its two golf courses and luxury hotel – and now it is exhibiting new Scottish art work.
For the first time, Fairmont has had an artist in residence who studied its Kittocks course for over a year, creating more than 20 works that are now on display in the hotel’s grand atrium.
Landscape painter Belinda Bullen was born and brought up in Kirkton of Balmerino and played by the banks of the Tay as a child. Her mother was Scottish and her father English and the family were located near St Andrews for his job at Guardbridge paper mill.
Although she moved away from Fife as a young girl and returned to England, the landscapes of her youth stayed with her all her life.
She and her husband Anthony decided to leave the Cotswolds and return to Fife after he retired two years ago. That was when her relationship with Fairmont began.
Having moved into their new home in Crail, there was much work to do to the property.
A year later, there were still no carpets and craving a homely place where she could go to relax, the couple decided to take a drive to Fairmont Hotel.
Belinda was immediately taken by the stunning views across St Andrews Bay – and struck by the welcome she received from staff.
“The staff were so friendly and we were so impressed. There was an art exhibition on at the time and it sparked an idea with me, so I found out the person to contact and it developed from there.”
Although it functions as a public space, with comfortable seating and a restaurant, the atrium of the Fairmont works very well as an exhibition space, especially with natural light coming in from above.
Belinda persuaded management that a golf course in such a beautiful location could benefit from an artist in residence – and the hotel agreed to let her come and paint it. The conversations took place in May 2011 and by the following month, Belinda had started to work.
Her favourite spot was just below the club house where she had access to uninterrupted views across the bay. It was too much to cover both courses, so she concentrated only on The Kittocks.
She visited the course as much as possible so she could record it in as many weathers and lights as possible. She only stopped painting the weekend prior to exhibition starting in May.
In the colder months, she worked from studies and photographs in her studio but continued to visit for walks. The result was 22 works of art.
Belinda explained: “I did pastel drawings and watercolours. I am a big canvas person. I was also always taking pictures.”
The majority of her canvases show the course in blue skies and this is because duller colours are not part of her palette.
“I am just not a brown and grey person. Some of these canvases started off much greyer but then I decided I didn’t like that. I don’t do grey,” she went on.
As well as landscapes, she also completed studies of the sky and birds: “I realised when you are sitting down quietly, you suddenly hear the different bird song. I heard larks, swallows, swifts and I also spotted a swan when the waters were icy in February.”
As soon as Belinda knew she had access to the atrium at Fairmont, she realised the canvases needed to vary in size, so some appear as a series of four, presented in a square while others stand alone. She is still working on and developing some of the paintings that didn’t make it to the show – and she hopes she will be able to return for another year to paint The Torrance course, which was designed by Scots golfer Sam Torrance.
Belinda said: “From my perspective, because I have come back to the area where I grew up, to have a reason to explore is wonderful.
“When I lived in the Cotswolds I made all my Cotswolds paintings Fife paintings. When we returned to Scotland, my husband said: ‘Do you realise this is what you have been painting all your life?’ ”
Belinda has also started using the facilities at the print studio, located in Dundee Contemporary Arts and is settling into the local artistic community.
“I don’t believe you can paint alone all the time, you have got to get out and meet people and be with people and the print studio is a good place to do that. What has also struck me is how important art is to the Scottish people.”
Belinda has always been a landscape painter. She specialised in painting and printing at Kingston art school in London and then studied as a post-graduate at The Royal Academy Schools.
She had a studio in London for some time and then moved to the Cotswolds after marrying, settling in South Cerney near Cirencester.
She has done corporate work and has paintings in the collections of organisations such as KPMG and House of Fraser. She has also exhibited widely across the UK, Europe, Australia and Canada.
Belinda believes there is great potential for a Fairmont residency or art competition and she is pleased to have had access to such a stunning setting.
The exhibition is free and Fairmont is keen for members of the public not residing at the resort to come and enjoy the surroundings, the art and perhaps stop in for a beverage.