Discovering the work of Joan Eardley

There is an exhibition of Joan Eardley’s work at the National Gallery for Scotland right now. My husband got tickets to a private showing and we went along last night. He has often talked fondly of a place called Catterline in the north east of Scotland where he spent many childhood holidays and Joan Eardley lived there for a while and painted many of what are probably her best known works there.

I knew nothing about her but was happy to go along.

The work in the first room left me cold. I wondered if this would be one of those exhibitions which I could say I had been to but I would not remember any of the works.

Then…well I guess you know what’s coming. There was a room full of her paintings of Glasgow children in the 1950s. There is one partially reproduced in the poster for the exhibition which you will see if you follow the above link. Although the style is quirky  those children almost leapt off the canvas. It was truly magical.

And then I spied in another room some seascapes. Quite a contrast.

This was the Catterline room. My husband was blown away by what he saw. He pointed out the cottage he stayed in – where they drew the water from the outside tap, where they had picnics. Yet these paintings are not in detail in a way a Hopper or a Constable tells the story as you see it with your own eyes. There are layers and layers of heavy paint which close up seem like splashes and dashes – but from a distance are truly beautiful.

As a comparison with real life I thought of how often dollops of this here, patches of that there come together in something powerful and inspiring.  I am sure you can tell how much I have been thinking about it.

I will go back before the exhibition finishes. If you are in Scotland I urge you to give it a try. If not…well Google brings up a lot of hits!