Postcards from Edinburgh

The paintings are playful, fun, affectionate reflections on Edinburgh’s residents and visitors, they are reflections on romance, commerce, exercise, festivals, and entertainment.

Since moving to Edinburgh in 2017 after living and working as an artist on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides my work and exhibitions have increasingly focused on aspects of Scotland’s capital city. It has seemed both natural and logical to use the city as a source for new collections of work, these latest paintings build on previous exhibition collections with the addition of a narrative. They attempt to be humorous reflections on people’s interactions with Edinburgh.

The paintings are based on observation and the images have been created to reflect romance, commerce, exercise, festivals, and entertainment. I wanted the paintings to be playful, fun, and affectionate reflections on the city, its residents and visitors.

In addition to supplement the theme of this exhibition, I had the images made into printed postcards. One of the ten postcards was then sent to a friend, relative or work colleague. They were asked to write on that postcard and pretend to mail it.

Those responses are included in the exhibition alongside their chosen painting.

The works introduce a bold figurative aspect to my cityscapes with a strong painterly style and bold composition. Traditionally, postcards were a medium used to relate scenes and experiences to friends and relatives. They continue to convey a tangible reminder of an enjoyable experience. This collection of paintings explores this concept by depicting everyday scenarios glimpsed when exploring the vibrant city of Edinburgh.