This is the 11th year of the Edinburgh Macmillan Art exhibition in aid of Cancer Support. Sheila Murray, who has broad professional arts experience through the British Council, Venice Biennale and Fruitmarket Gallery, was invited to research and curate a special show for 2013.
The theme is Art of Nature reflecting Visit Scotland’s 'Year of Natural Scotland 2013' to bring coherence and structure to the exhibition. A diverse range of paintings, prints and mixed media has been selected from established artists as well as a younger generation of artistic talent across Scotland.
Jewellery based on the concept "Natural Scotland" and designed by final year students at Edinburgh College of Art will also be for sale. Perfect for Christmas gifts or treat yourself!
Amongst the several dozen artists invited to exhibit their work is Deborah Phillips. After graduating she became Merchandise Designer for the National Trust for Scotland and then Historic Scotland. Deborah works from her studio in Dundee, specialising in acrylic paintings of the Scottish countryside
Alan Kilpatrick was born in India, educated in Scotland before studying at St. Martin’s School of Art. He has worked from his Edinburgh studio since 1991, winning numerous awards and a travel grant to India to be a resident artist in Calcutta. His distinctive style ranges from bold expressionist landscapes to detailed prints of trees.
Paul Furneaux is a printmaker working with Japanese watercolour woodblocks (mokuhanga). The change of seasons and weather inspires his art, depicting gardens, waves, clouds, storms and sea.
Also exhibiting is Charles Simpson, highly regarded for scenic views of West Coast beaches and islands; Catriona Taylor, a film-maker and artist, is inspired by Scottish history, fishing and farming, recently creating a film on the old Drovers’ Road across the Borders.
Such contrasting art work will be for sale too from the colourful abstract fields and skies of Poppy Cyster's landcapes to the oversized illustrations of wasps and ladybirds by Mike Dix.
Sponsored in recent years by ScotRail and Travel Awards to Orkney and Canada, Leo de Feu captures land and seascapes, birds and wildlife in pencil and watercolour.
Two talks will complement the exhibition: Gallery director and curator, Susanna Beaumont (Doggerfisher, Edinburgh, Frith Street Gallery London, Jupiter Artland), will discuss Collecting Art in Scotland (21st November, 6pm); on 24 November at 2pm, a lecture by Bill Hare on the history of Scottish landscape art.