Brora landscape artist has solo exhibition in Inverness gallery
An award-winning landscape artist from Sutherland is showing new work in a solo exhibition entitled Patterned Land in an Inverness gallery.
Wendy Sutherland, from Brora, is the first artist to fill the entire exhibition space at Brown’s Gallery, opposite Inverness Castle at 81a Castle Street. She has created 46 new works for the show.
Her young daughter, Fara, composed a piano piece inspired by one of her mum’s art works, ‘East Sutherland’, and performed it on the opening night on Saturday, September 14.
Fara also composed and performed two other pieces, one to celebrate the birthday of well-known Brora photographer Craig Mackay, who took Wendy’s photograph for the exhibition catalogue.
Her other piece was another birthday tribute to gallery owner Gordon Brown.
The exhibition catalogue includes written contributions from local writer Liz Treacher and author Rebecca Mackenzie who also gave a recital at the launch. Rebecca has links with Brora; her father, Rory Mackenzie, is from the village and she was once a resident.
Ed O’Brien, a member of the rock band Radiohead, and who releases solo music under the name EOB, gave a piece of his music to Wendy, who interpreted the melody as a visual entity.
The result is ‘Blue Morpho’, a dominant canvas in Patterned Land - the music, entwined with birdsong, emerges as a delicate lace of bird motifs over a dappled blue abyss.
Wendy studied at Edinburgh College of Art, graduating with a first class honours Bachelor of Arts degree and Master of Fine Art.
She has won a number of awards and scholarships, including a Royal Scottish Academy Landscape Award and a Queen’s Anniversary Award.
The process she follows ranges from the physical throwing of paint and pigment onto the canvas to the delicate drawing and rendering of images.
“The Highland landscape is for me a poetic subject ... .Although the figure is abandoned in my work, I consider it to be very much about a human relationship to the landscape.” says Wendy
Gordon Brown said: “Wendy translates the whipping of the wind, the sheeness of the sun, and the dampness of a dreich day into a harmony which she so generously invites her audience to embrace.”
The exhibition runs until Saturday, October 12. Brown’s Gallery is open from Tuesday to Saturday 10am-5pm.
