The Dundas Street Gallery
Address 6a Dundas Street

Sophie Macpherson, Edinburgh Festival Exhibition

Sophie Macpherson found her inspiration for this excellent collection of oils, on Scotland's west coast. Her work is distinguished by a muted palette of colours, but at the same time her clever use of scale, particularly in her maritime scenes, conjures up some dramatic compositions.

For instance, "Mainland from Skye" shows a boat, which has obviously seen better days, resting on the sand. The curve of the boat is reflected by the wavey brushstrokes in the sand. In the foreground, two heavy oars are propped up on the side of the boat, breaking the distant horizon. Touches of rust on the mainland are repeated in the colours of a couple of buoys in the boat. I particularly liked the angle, shape and feel of the boat - weathered, like an old friend.

In a similar vein the buoy in "Buoy, Black Isle" dominates the painting in shades of rich reds with purple shadows and touches of blue reflecting the sky. A clever touch is the faint outline of a small wheelbarrow in the distance which emphasises the largeness of the buoy.

"Still Life with Driftwood, Scalpay" is another maritime scene, this time with a lobster pot, buoys, driftwood, and rope lying on the beach. Again, the foreground objects are large and arresting, with the island of Scalpay in the far distant. Mostly a cool palette of blues and greys and touches of ochre.

Sophie Macpherson paintings have been described as "romantic surrealism" and she has a definite style which is instantly recogniseable. Definitely a must-see exhibition.

The Time l6th - 26th August Mon.-Sat. l0-5.

index>>