Celebrated artists under the spotlight as doors open on Ullapool exhibition
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An exhibition featuring paintings and drawings from esteemed Scottish artists inspired by plants, flowers and trees opens at the An Talla Solais Gallery in Ullapool this weekend.
Botanical includes beautiful work from the Royal Scottish Academy Collections and the studios of well-known artists such as Elizabeth Blackadder, Anne Redpath, Graham Fagen, Victoria Crowe, David Michie, Ade Adesina and Frances Walker.
The rich and varied selection - from prints to watercolours and oils – explores how we see, interpret and engage with what we imagine to be the familiar plant world around us.
Colin Greenslade is director of the RSA and curated the original Winter Flowers exhibition last year in Edinburgh from which Botanical has developed.
He said: "These artists’ fascination with the natural world, and their depiction and presentation of this research are small links in a long chain of connection and reinterpretation of our natural environment. Inviting these artists to exhibit gives us a brief glimpse into their studio practice and research and it is very exciting to enable the visitors at An Tallas Solais another glimpse at this new Springtime exhibition in Ullapool."
Victoria Caine, exhibitions coordinator at ATS, said: "The reason An Talla Solais exists is to bring inspiring art into our community and give everyone a chance to take part so we're especially delighted for this opportunity to work with the RSA and present work of such extraordinary calibre. We hope it will be a really enriching experience for Highland visitors and a chance to connect with the work in a very different setting."
The exhibition is sponsored by Caladar Arts, a studio and project space in Cawdor, and Ullapool’s own Highland Liquor Company, creators of handmade spirits including their signature new Seven Crofts which is inspired by forest fruits and woodland.
Another local enterprise – Libby and Alice Nairn’s Hands Full of Flowers – will run a Saturday drop-in flower-arranging session next month and create a community floral installation.
Botanical’ opens on Saturday, April 6 at 10am at the An Talla Solais Gallery, West Argyle Street, Ullapool.
The Gallery is open daily from 10am to 5pm (with a 30 minute closure at 1.30pm) until Sunday, May 19. Entry is free.
