2013 has been a significant year for Jamie Primrose with not just one, but two retrospective exhibitions. Over the past decade he has travelled the world from France and Italy to Argentina and Mexico as well as staying home in Edinburgh, to capture scenic views on canvas.
In June this year, the first 10th anniversary exhibition was entitled An Ethereal Journey from South America to Scotland 2003 – 2013, held at Dundas Street Gallery. This was a magical and colourful exploration of landscapes and sunsets from Costa Rica to North Berwick from tropical sky to misty seashore.
This second major retrospective “Reflections on a City” has now opened at Dovecot Studios. Several dozen works illustrate in a diverse manner, the changing nature of the streets, hills, parks and waterways of Edinburgh through the seasons.
Primrose is a prolific artist who has an uncanny ability to create a cool, crisp atmospheric sense of place either through paintings in vibrant oils on canvas or sketches with Indian ink on paper.
A comprehensive catalogue has been published to illustrate this exhibition with an introduction by the artist: “The Scottish capital represents a strong element of who I used to be, who I have become and it is firmly ingrained in my psyche. I am continually drawn to capturing a timeless view of the majestic, historic city ..”
Timeless is the word. The signature painterly style of Primrose’s art focuses on sunlight, shimmering shadows, glistening snow and moody moments along dark streets at dusk. Classic and contemporary merging in each scene.
Walking around the vast space of the Dovecot Studio is like wandering around the city itself: observe the shifting scenic beauty of its grand architecture from Old to New Town, tranquil gardens, and strolling along rivers, canals and the waterfront at Leith.
Here are pink-tinted Turneresque views of the city sky, such as “Winter Sunset from Calton Hill” with silhouettes of the Castle and church spires; golden leaves on the trees in “Autumnal reflections in the Meadows”; the stunning, chilly winter light “Snow Clouds over the Meadows”, through which you can almost feel the icy cold.
Since 2003 Jamie Primrose has returned again and again to paint his favourite places around the city, as he says “ to develop creatively, explore, experiment and to hone my craft”.
This retrospective exhibition proves once again how he has perfected a precise artistic palette to create his own distinctive impressionistic landscapes. These are paintings by a mature, confident, and well established artist which show a true passion for the subject - his home town, the city of Edinburgh.
Exhibition dates and times:
9 - 16 November, 2013, 10.30am-5.30pm
See website for exhibition details, full collection of paintings and limited edition prints.