EMILY POWELL : THE LAND BELOW THE WAVES
Pink Glow at the Loch Framed Size: 207 x 157 cm 207 157
The Old Harbour at Scarinish Framed Size: 207 x 167 cm 207 167
Pudding Houses of Tiree Framed Size: 129 x 68 cm 129 68
Rainbow Old Harbour Framed Size: 87 x 87 cm 87 87
Even the Cottages seemed Alive Framed Size: 58 x 48 cm 58 48
We Danced in the Rain Framed Size: 58 x 48 cm 58 48
Sweet Sweet Balemartine Framed Size: 58 x 48 cm 58 48
Looking Out from Hynish Framed Size: 53 x 43 cm 53 43
Tiree is Soul Lifting Framed Size: 129 x 68 cm 129 68
Years of You and I'm still in Love Framed Size: 127 x 107 cm 127 107
Tropical Tiree Framed Size: 107 x 107 cm 107 107
Tiree's Good Energy Framed Size: 53 x 43 cm 53 43
We were all very Happy to be Here Framed Size: 88 x 68 cm 88 68
The Wilder Side of the Island Framed Size: 83 x 58 cm 83 58
The Rocks had slept for 1000 Years Framed Size: 47 x 57 cm 47 57
The Clouds Rolled across Tiree Framed Size: 87 x 67 cm 87 67
Matisse Blue on Tiree Framed Size: 129 x 87 cm 129 87
Tiree Cows were very Confident Cows Framed Size: 63 x 53 cm 63 53
One of the only Hills on Tiree Framed Size: 87 x 87 cm 87 87
The Birds owned the Island Framed Size: 58 x 48 cm 58 48
Light Bright Big Beach Framed Size: 67 x 67 cm 67 67
The Pink represents the Happiness Here Framed Size: 53 x 43 cm 53 43
The Sky Here is a Scottish Dream Size: 60 x 42 cm Framed Size: 73 x 56 cm 60 42
It was Good to be a Seal Framed Size: 55 x 43 cm 55 43
Hiya from the Seals Framed Size: 55 x 43 cm 55 43
Cormorants and Shags on Tiree Framed Size: 55 x 43 cm 55 43
Medicine for a Sore Heart Framed Size: 107 x 107 cm 107 107
Flowers from Tiree Framed Size: 107 x 107 cm 107 107
Sit with Me Here in the Flowers Framed Size: 107 x 107 cm 107 107
On Sunny Days, everything is so Tropical Size: 20 x 25 cm 20 25
Time on this Beach is Time well Spent Size: 20 x 25 cm 20 25
It is with a unique mix of fearlessness and trust, along with a keen sense of adventure, that an artist sets off for a tiny Scottish island that she has never heard of for two weeks, with not much more than a van of blank canvases and a solo exhibition deadline, husband and two year old daughter in tow. That artist is Emily Powell, and the island is Tiree, a slither of an island three miles wide and thirteen long, fondly known as the Land Below the Waves.
What Emily found on Tiree was a sky so big it seemed to hold the world in it, deep turquoise seas, colourful boats bobbing in the harbour, and beaches of bleached white sand shimmering with the iridescence of long crushed shells. Black houses, clustered together like old friends dotted over the island, pink and purple sea thrift fringing the shoreline, bright yellow mosses singing against the black of rock, and oyster catchers – their beaks a gift of bright red against a grey sky. And of course, a Scottish wind that whipped against her cheeks. A feeling of being truly alive.
It is this feeling that Emily conveys so urgently on the canvas, this ‘being alive-ness’, inviting us to feel it with her, because, after all, are we not alive too? This force of life that drives Emily to seek out new places where she can explore, feel and paint is the real subject of this exhibition and each of Emily’s paintings express the joy that comes with being adventurous and taking risks, living fully as an artist and as a mother. Free of artifice and convention, the colours sing, and Emily’s subjects – birds, rocks, boats, cottages – are all equally alive on the canvas. Following her brushstrokes we feel both the wind and the freedom. Here, all is well.
The exhibition will feature Emily’s celebrated large scale floral works, alongside evocative Tiree seascapes, and a selection of works on paper, all painted on the island. Works on paper and unframed small paintings can all be viewed here.
PRIVATE VIEW AND MEET THE ARTIST
FRIDAY 28TH JUNE 6 – 8 PM