End of The Year

Our Alasdair Gray, Joyce Gunn Cairns and Steven Camley exhibition is ending tomorrow with just a few days to spare before Christmas.

Joyce Gunn Cairns - Toby and His Burd

It has been a wonderful exhibition and I must thank these three amazing artists again for their beautiful works.

Steven Camley - Herald Cartoon

 

Such distinctive and well-known work has drawn great numbers and it has been an incredible show to host at this time of year.

Alasdair Gray - May in Black Armchair

And now for a well-earned rest!  Smithy Gallery is going on holiday and will be closed from Sunday 22 December until 10 January.


Have a wonderful time over Christmas and New Year and all our thanks to the artists and customers who have been a great supporters of the gallery.  Here's to a wonderful 2014!


Thanks for reading!


Natalie

Alasdair Gray

We are incredibly lucky to have been asked by Alasdair Gray to stage this three-person

exhibition.  Alasdair wanted to exhibit alongside Joyce Gunn Cairns and Steven Camley at Christmas time, and how could we refuse. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alasdair Gray describes himself as a ‘maker of imagined objects’. He has been a prolific producer of novels, short stories, plays, poems, pamphlets and literary criticism.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And of course he is also an accomplished artist.  Well known for his remarkable murals, he is the designer and illustrator of his own books and those of other writers.  These illustrations often evolve into larger screen prints.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He also paints portraits of friends and colleagues.  These have an intimacy about them.  His technique looks stylised, but he always captures the essence of the sitter, as if a private conversation is being shared.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are exhibiting several signed screen prints and original paintings.

 

This exhibition contines until 22 December.

 

Thanks for reading!

 

 

Natalie

The Royal Glasgow Institute of Fine Arts

The annual Royal Glasgow Institute of Fine Arts exhibition is now in its 152nd year.  Open to all, it is a fixture in most artists' calenders.  Many enter and many wait apprehensively to see whether their prized works will be accepted into this grand tradition.

 

Housed this year in the beautiful McLellan Galleries for the first time in seven years, the organisers hope to welcome thousands of visitors to the biggest contemporary art exhibition in Scotland.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This year, the usual entry fee has been waived, although I would have been more than happy to have paid.

 

As stated in the RGI website: 'To mark this landmark event for the RGI, and for Scotland, the usual exhibition visitor admission fee has been dropped - making the exhibition free for all to enjoy.  By reopening the galleries and staging an exhibition of exceptional quality and variety, the RGI hopes to ignite public and political passion for the McLellan Galleries and see this incredible cultural asset permanently reinstated as major venue for arts in Scotland.'

 

They certainly succeeded with the exceptional quality and variety of works. I was incredibly impressed and I thought the exhibition far exceeded previous years when housed in the Mitchell Library. 

 

Always on the lookout for exciting artists, I found myself in awe of many of the works by familiar artists, but I was also delighted to be scribbling down the names of several artists who I wasn't familiar with. 

 

The hanging of this exhibition was exquisite.  A huge task had been undertaken, and executed brilliantly.   But where were the red dots?  There were many, but the amount of works I saw that would have been snapped up with the right buyers in front of them.  Moving from room to room, it was a treasure trove of talent in there and I do hope enough people made it through the doors.

 

There is still this weekend, with the exhibition running until Sunday.  Well worth a visit.  I would have another look if I could.  I think this year's exhibition is an incredible showcase to the talent we have in Scotland, and what a fitting venue.

 

I so hope that 'public and political passion for the McClellan Galleries' has been ignited.  It certainly worked for me, and I think Glasgow deserves to see the 153rd exhibition in the McLellan Galleries next year.

 

 

Thanks for reading!

 

 

Natalie

 

 

 

 

 

 



Steven Camley

We are delighted to be currently exhibiting works by Herald cartoonist Steven Camley, alongside Alasdair Gray and Joyce Gunn Cairns.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Veteran author and artist Alasdair Gray is a huge fan of Camley's satirical cartoons and requested an exhibition with him and his other favourite, Gunn Cairns. 

 

 

Steven Camley is a multi award-winning cartoonist, and his career has been stratospheric.

 

In 2000, he was invited to join the Sunday Herald where he spent three successful years providing the weekly ‘Backyard’ strip before being invited to join The Herald, where his cartoons have surprised and delighted readers five days a week since 2003.

 

 

 

 

 

Every Herald reader is rewarded by their purchase of the paper by his hard-hitting pithy observations of the world as he sees it. His occasionally caustic cartoons usually give readers material for meditation. Always on the side of the underdog, willing to lampoon the most powerful and fearless in cross-party criticism, no politician nor political leader is protected from his irony.

 

The original water colour paintings are full of high-quality draughtsmanship, wit and energy.  They are also quite beautiful.


To view more, click on the link to our facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.579093708812719.1073741860.171388499583244&type=3

This exhibition continues until 22 December.


Thanks for reading!


Natalie

 

 

 

 

The Fabulous Joyce Gunn Cairns MBE

We are showing three of the most amazing artists right now, so where to start when choosing who to write about first?

Out of Alasdair Gray, Joyce Gunn Cairns and Steven Camley, I have known the wonderful Joyce the longest and she has been a great inspiration to me as an artist and a friend, so I'll begin with her!





Toby and His Burd

I have been a huge fan of her work for years and really can't get enough of it.  Each piece that she creates is entirely unique.  Unmistakably hers, but a creation with a life and back story all of it's own.

Red Puss

She creates works with the lightest of touches, but with powerful undertones, often with literary origins, or steeped in personal experience.

 

Mutual Regard

Ultimately they are things of beauty whether her subject matter is the innocence of the robin to the complexity of love, to the realities of old age.  No subject is uninspiring to her, and therefore to the viewer.




The Robin Ower A' Birds is Blest



The works in this collection are fascinating as they cover such a spectrum of subject matter and it's fascinating to watch different people reacting and relating to the different paintings.  For more of Joyce's works, please check our Facebook page:


https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.578568855531871.1073741859.171388499583244&type=3


This exhibition with Alasdair Gray and Steven Camley continues until 22 December.


Thanks for reading!


Natalie





The Preview

The Alasdair Gray, Joyce Gunn Cairns and Steven Camley exhibition previewed on Sunday and it was one our best exhibition openings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With three such fabulous artists, all incredibly characterful as well, I was expecting a great preview and I wasn't disappointed.

 

 

 

Alasdair Gray

 

 

 

The crowds came out to see the great works by Alasdair Gray, the beautiful paintings by Edinburgh-based Joyce Gunn Cairns, and the cartoons by multi award-winning Herald cartoonist Steven Camley.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was delighted to see that people had come from far and wide, and amongst the great atmosphere, the sales for all three just kept on coming.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This exhibition was originally requested by Alasdair Gray and I must thank him for wanting to exhibit with two such brilliant and fascinating artists such as Steven Camley and Joyce Gunn Cairns. 

 

 

 

Joyce Gunn Cairns with Steven Camley and his wife, Meg

 

These three artists are so entirely different and as Alasdair said, this what will make it work, and it does.  The exhibition looks beautiful, and all the works reveal so much more on closer inspection.

 

Fin the Whippet enjoying this beautiful Tom Allan sculpture

All three artist work with such meaning and layering within their work, but all from very different perspectives.

 

 

 

Me and Joyce at the end of a great day

A huge thank you to Joyce Gunn Cairns, Steven Camley, Alasdair Gray and their families and friends for making this such a fun and fabulous day.

This exhibition runs all the way up to Christmas.


Thanks for reading!


Natalie

Almost Ready

There is still a lot to do to be ready in time for Sunday's exhibition preview, but I think it's coming together quite nicely.

 

 

 

 

 

We are hanging beautiful works by three very different artists.  We have screen prints and original paintings by the inimitable Alasdair Gray. 

 

Most of Alasdair's works originated as illustrations for his writings.  They are incredibly bold on impact, and on closer inspection, so rich with meaning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paintings by Joyce Gunn Cairns can be delicate on impact but then the strength behind them slowly emerges until these subtle and beautiful works pack a real punch.  A formidable combination.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steven Camley's exquisite cartoons again need a little attention and as the imagery, deft drawing and captions come together, the realisation of the amount of talent in these perfect cartoons hits you and you can't help smile and want one for yourself! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So lots to get ready to give this special show a special preview.

 

We open this Sunday 24th, and the exhibition continues until 22nd December.

 

 

Thanks for reading!

 

 

Natalie

 

 

Unwrapping!

It's that time again when one exhibition comes down to make way for the new paintings that have arrived for the new show, demure in their bubble wrap, waiting patiently.

 

 

 

 

Our Liz Knox paintings have sadly left the building and the works by Alasdair Gray, Joyce Gunn Cairns and Steven Camley have now all arrived.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The best part is unwrapping them and feeling your heart quicken as you see the new work in person. Always good sign.

 

 

 

 

 

 

For weeks I work just with images of the paintings, but good paintings are always far better in person.

 

 

 

 

 

 

So far Alasdair's have made me gasp and look closer, Joyce's make my heart swell, and Steven's make me laugh.  And this is all in the first glances.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As I start to place the paintings, the gallery already takes on that new look.  New life is breathed into the space and I can't wait to get on and see the finished result.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thankfully I have a good few days to do the work justice.  This exhibition previews this Sunday 24th, 2-5pm.

 

 

Thanks for reading!

 

 

Natalie

 

All Change

Our attentions are now turning to the exciting exhibition that is coming next.

 

 

 

 

 

Artist and writer Alasdair Gray has chosen two of his favourite artists to exhibit with this winter.

Happily they are two of our favourites:  artist Joyce Gunn Cairns and Herald cartoonist Steven Camley, whose work couldn't be more contrasting, but this is going to make for a vibrant and exciting exhibition. 

Both of these artists are greatly admired at Smithy Gallery, and alongside the inimitable Alasdair Gray, we have an incomparable trio.

This three-person exhibition opens Sunday 24 November and continues until 22 December.

 

 

 

But we still have a weekend to go of our fabulous Liz Knox exhibition.  This has been a beautiful and bold experience and people have loved the colour and confidence of this exhibition, warming us all up just as winter approaches.

 

Thank you so much to Liz Knox for creating such a gorgeous collection of works that have been greatly admired, several of which are off to very happy homes.

 

 

 

This exhibition continues until Sunday and can be viewed on our website:  http://www.smithygallery.co.uk/currentExhibitions.htm

 

 

 

Thanks for reading!

 

 

Natalie

Coming Soon . . . .

 

 

And now for something completely different . . . . .

 

 



Joyce Gunn Cairns

Joyce Gunn Cairns

 

 

 

 

 

We are more than a little excited that very soon we will be exhibiting three artists who are at the very top of their prospective fields.

 

 

 

 



Steven Camley

 

 

 

 

Each brings something entirely different, but they are linked by their utterly unique take on the world and their bold unabashed depiction of it from the very personal right up to the way world events affect us all.

 

 

 

ALASDAIR GRAY 

One of Scotland's leading writers and artists

JOYCE GUNN CAIRNS 

An artistic tour-de-force, awarded an MBE for services to the arts

STEVEN CAMLEY 

The multi award-winning Herald satirical cartoonist 

 

 

 

Steven Camley

 

 

 

 

These three are giants of their fields and that is because each is uniquely talented and incredibly hard-working.  True artists if you will. They are not lucky or commercial, they each have the two qualities that make most of us stand in awe.  Most of us can muster the latter, but not the former.

 

 

 

         

 

 

Alasdair Gray

Alasdair Gray

 

 

 

This exhibition will be one of it's kind in it's strength and variety.  It previews on 24th November and runs until 22 December.


Thanks for reading!


Natalie

Still Life?

Liz Knox is a well-known still life painter, but with a difference.  Still lifes can often be simply about the objects presented, or they can be about painting itself where the objects are used as a basis for creative use of tone and texture.

 

 

 

One Fallen Petal

 

 

A Liz Knox still life is full of meaning. At first the viewer sees the flowers in the foreground, but then on looking past realises that the background is full of objects and symbols.

 

 

 

 

Souvenirs and Sunflowers

This exhibition in entitled 'Flowers and Circumstances' and that is a huge clue to what the paintings represent.

By A Side Canal

A good painting captures your gaze, but a really wonderful painting captures your thought process and changes its course, drawing you in to another world if only for a moment.

Bright Anemones

 

Each Liz Knox painting achieves just that.  Each appears to be a still life painting, but they are far from still.

 

We are delighted to be exhibiting these beautiful paintings until 17 November.

 

For more, please visit: http://www.smithygallery.co.uk/currentExhibitions.htm

 

 

Thanks for reading!

 

 

Natalie

Liz Knox PPAI PAI

We have had a busy week since the Liz Knox exhibition, 'Flowers and Circumstances' opened on Sunday. 

Liz's work has a great following and she is also greatly admired by her contemporaries, a sign of a very good artist. Many artists were present at the private view and have also been in to see the exhibition since.

Liz in her Studio

Being one of Scotland's outstanding still life painters,she also gets a lot of coverage in the press, And this exhibition has been no exception.

Write-up by Jan Patience in The Daily Record

We are delighted with the response to the exhibition already.  To view the paintings, click on the link:

http://www.smithygallery.co.uk/currentExhibitions.htm


We are expecting a busy weekend.  Look out for an article in the Arts Section of Saturday's (3rd Nov) Herald.


Thanks for reading!


Natalie

Liz Knox Preview

We had been hanging the new Liz Knox exhibition all week and everything was ready and waiting.

Bright, bold and beautiful, but like the rest of the country on Sunday, the rain just kept pouring down!

And still they came!  And what better way to forget the grey outside than by surrounding yourself with this beautiful new collection of paintings by Liz Knox.

A successful exhibition preview is not only about lots of people attending, but it's about a great atmosphere. And a great atmosphere leads to lots of sales!

Thank you so much to the many artists and art-lovers who came and enjoyed the opening of this stunning exhibition.

A great day was had by all and several sales were the icing on the cake.

The paintings can be viewed on:  http://smithygallery.co.uk/currentExhibitions.htm



Thanks for reading!


Natalie