Thurso art gallery Springs into action with new show of local talent

By David G Scott

Published: 09:00, 11 March 2023

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A collection of Caithness artists descended upon the Thurso Gallery at the town's library on Monday for a preview of the venue's latest exhibition aptly named Spring.

Works from members of the Society of Caithness Artists (SCA) fill the walls of the gallery and all have paid tribute to the forthcoming spring season despite the wintry conditions prevailing.

The official Thurso Gallery description of the show states: "Spring celebrates the optimism of a new season, fresh growth and new beginnings. The exhibition features a varied selection of work from established local artists and first time exhibitors, all linked by a connection to Caithness."

A preview show of Spring on Monday afternoon at the Thurso Gallery in Davidson's Lane. Picture: DGS

Ian Pearson, chairman of the Society of Caithness Artists, introduces the exhibition on Monday afternoon. Picture: DGS

Chair of the SCA, Ian Pearson, said at the event: "This is a special exhibition outwith the annual exhibition of the Society of Caithness Artists.

"It is a selection of members, of around 17 or 18, and there are three artists with three-dimensional works [David Kinghorn, Ian Pearson and Shelagh Swanson] along with paintings by the others. Each artist could exhibit up to two works with the theme of spring. `

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The opening of Spring in Thurso's art gallery. Picture: DGS

Professional artist Shelagh Swanson displays a glass sculpture alongside a painting which creates a juxtaposition of different dimensions. 'I was thinking about early spring and the shift in light patterns,' said Shelagh who challenged herself to create something more abstract rather than the landscape paintings she is better known for. Picture: DGS

Elaine Rapson-Grant with two works created from dried/pressed flowers that emerge in the spring. She says it's an art form started by the Japanese around 1500. Picture: DGS

Penny Irvine with her work called Snapshot. This wool and silk fibre creation is a 'snapshot of a tulip as I remember them in my gran's vase as a child,' says Penny. Picture: DGS

Wick artist Jo Sutherland created her energetic study of a shipwreck called On the Rocks by using ink, pastel and watercolour. Picture: DGS

The Salmon Pool by Debbie Prentice. Debbie has used abstraction to display flashes of silver to represent salmon amongst swathes of green to show reeds. The acrylic painting is based on a site within River Thurso. Picture: DGS

A Valerie Barker work created with silk. Picture: DGS

Don Clarke displays an impressive selection of monoprints based on observations of Ackergill harbour. Don visited the harbour and studied some of the finer details of the location to 'find the unexpected'. Picture: DGS

Jackie Newton stands next to this striking study of a woodland scene called Lilac Carpet. The oil on canvas is based on a fictional place and Jackie created it in an Impressionistic style that was Monet inspired. Picture: DGS

"This is one of the first face-to-face exhibitions we've had this year. We want to promote exhibitions outside of our annual exhibition so we're in negotiations with the North Coast Visitor Centre for an exhibition in May. We've got our annual exhibition in July and this is a bonus really and gives an opportunity for artists with work ready in their studio but they haven't got an exhibition ready to show.

"We're also working with High Life Highland to promote local artists – we are about promoting local Caithness artists at the end of the day after all."

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David Kinghorn's wood sculpture called Incubation. Picture: DGS

Professional Thurso artist Willie Wallace with two of his paintings. Picture: DGS

Willie Wallace's painting called Dreaming of Spring. Willie says he based the work on a Mark Rothko composition and put his own narrative within it. Picture: DGS

Ian Pearson, chairman of the Society of Caithness Artists, with his own glass sculptures of daffodils at the Spring exhibition. These are recent works by Ian who said he has been creating daffodils, an emblem of spring, for almost 50 years from his glass studio. Picture: DGS

Some of the inspiring works to be seen at Spring. Picture: DGS

A passionate acrylic on canvas called New Season Awakening by Juliette Currums. Picture: DGS

Ian also talked about his own works on display – glass daffodils, an emblem of spring, which he says he has been making for nearly 50 years now. "My idea this year is to make 70 daffodils. That's one daffodil for every year I've been on this planet as I'll be 70-years-old in September. I'll be planting them along the riverbank outside my studio and it'll be linked to Daffodil Day."

For opening times of the exhibition follow this link: www.highlifehighland.com/thurso-art-gallery/

The exhibition will run until the 15th of April and is in the Thurso Gallery situated within the library on Davidson's Lane, Thurso.

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