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SEASONS SONG
AT THE SCOTTISH GALLERY
this visit are direct and calligraphic , offering a sense of being at sea - the noise , wind , smell and speed of the birds as they glide above .
Harkess remarks : ‘ While observing bird and wildlife behaviours , patterns , and movement , I ’ ll be thinking about compositions and how to translate elements into a finished work : the intersection of branches ; the placement of birds ; shapes created by positive and negative space ; a gradation of colour in foliage ; the sway of willow tree ; an interesting colour combination . All these observations inform and inspire me .’
Autumn Twilight , 2023 , watercolour , 56 x 76 cm
Claire Harkess captures fine detail from the natural world , encapsulating the flora and fauna as the seasons change .
Harkess ’ s truthful and poignant observation is an exposition of the extraordinary nature of the ordinary , in her new exhibition Seasons Song at The Scottish Gallery ( 7 March – 6 April 2024 ). Harkess studies the natural world continuously with a keen and curious eye , the hours spent observing are just the starting point as she goes beyond conventional representation ; every brushstroke is loaded with movement , colour , light and emotion .
Born in Ayr , Scotland , Harkess graduated from Glasgow School of Art in the early 1990s . In recent years her painting has led her to study landscapes with fragile ecosystems , examining and interpreting life on the fringes . Painting in watercolour offers a unique directness ; the essential qualities of light and energy present in the natural world are the very essence of the medium itself . The delicacy of her palette and economy of her markmaking creates a subtle tension , representing a world that is ‘ holding still ’, giving a sense of freedom , spirit , time , and place .
In Seasons Song , Harkess has collaborated with the prize-winning essayist Chris Arthur , providing a series of haiku , forming a beautiful conversation between an artist and a poet . His words inspired a summer boat trip to visit the Bass Rock and Isle of May in East Lothian . A series of watercolours of diving gannets and many other seabirds ensued . The paintings made in response to
Echo Glide , 2023 , watercolour on hemp paper , 57 x 81 cm
It is how Harkess makes us feel , bringing us closer to nature rather than looking from a distance . Woodland birds , seabirds , and birds of prey are represented in delicate , luminous watercolour , and her virtuoso technique , drawing on Eastern and Western painting traditions , captures the magic of a bird in flight .
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