Jamie Primrose has recently celebrated twenty years working as a professional artist, embarking on an impressive career with his first solo exhibition in 2003 at the Traverse Theatre. Since then he has regularly presented city, land and seascapes at the Dundas Street Gallery, Edinburgh, as well as in London and a special retrospective at The Dovecot Studios.
This is a total of nearly 50 solo shows with evocative titles such as Winter Impressions, Evocative Skies, Shimmering Light, Ethereal Silence, Enchanting Vistas, Moments in Time, Tranquil Destinations.
Primrose is renowned for vivid paintings of Edinburgh cityscapes, the cobbled streets of the Old Town, Spring blossom in the Meadows, Inverleith Park, Arthur’s Seat, Cramond and Portobello Beach. Also, following travels to Italy and France, the exquisite architecture of the Grand Canal, Venice, and scenic beauty of the Mediterranean Riviera.
This new collection entitled ‘Serenity’ features over 50 new oil paintings and limited-edition prints which focus on the way glistening light is reflected on water - rivers, ponds and seashore around Edinburgh and along the coastline of East Lothian
‘ I am continually inspired by the transient nature of light; these are emotional impressionistic responses to the relationship between the light in the sky and the colours, atmosphere, architecture, landscape or water, which I am conveying at that very moment.’ Jamie Primrose
The exhibition takes you on a grand tour from the Dean Village along the Water of Leith pathway to St. Bernard’s Well and the Royal Botanic Garden – highlighted in Botanic Pond Reflections with its dappled mirror image of tall trees. A stroll through Inverleith Park is depicted from Spring to Autumn, then down to Newhaven Harbour – pictured with its charming old lighthouse and row of fishing boats – and along to the Shore in Leith.
A series of paintings depict the majestic structure of the Forth Bridge, proudly standing beside the Forth Road Bridge and Queensferry Crossing. These panoramic views of the Firth of Forth capture the soft glow at sunset, with streaks of coral and salmon pink clouds across vast open skies.
Continue Primrose’s painterly journey to East Lothian and the timeless, tranquil seascapes of Tyninghame Beach, Yellowcraig and North Berwick where families have enjoyed summer holidays and day trips for generations. Winter Clouds over North Berwick Beach offers a particularly magical viewpoint from the children’s paddling pool looking out over gentle waves to the distant Bass Rock: dramatic clouds shimmer in the golden light at dusk.
Over the past 20 years, he has perfected a bold style and precise soft palette to create his own signature style of moody, impressionistic land and seascapes through the seasons.
It is quite extraordinary how Jamie Primrose can return again and again to similar city and sea views at different times of the day and the year; such astute observations of each scene with a fresh, inspiring perspective clearly reveals an enduring passion for where he walks and wanders - Edinburgh and surrounding coastline.
This review is just a brief browse around this collection which presents a diverse range of oil paintings and limited-edition prints - so do visit Dundas Street Gallery this week if you can.
‘Serenity’ – an exhibition of waterscapes by Jamie Primrose
Dundas Street Gallery, 6a Dundas Street, Edinburgh EH3 6HZ
Saturday 9th to Saturday 16th November, 2024
Open Monday to Friday, 11am - 6pm. Saturday, 11am - 4pm.
For more information and view images, www.jamieprimrose.com
Enjoy a video of Jamie’s ‘Serenity’ original oil paintings, prints, and the inspiring locations: https://vimeo.com/1012704235