News, exhibitions & BLOG 2010

The Pierhouse Hotel who normally display Alex’s paintings, has recently refurbished the restaurant and reception areas. To coincide with this, a new display of paintings have been hung. During the Festive period till the end of January a 20% discount on listed prices is on offer.

Meanwhile Alex and Midge continue to work on new pieces – some inspired by their autumn visit to France and more recently by the wonderful snowy landscapes in Argyll.

The website shop is beginning to bring results : the most recent being the sale of the large oil painting ‘Port Nam Murrach, Arisaig’ purchased by a couple in Oxford. The website continues to attract a lot of hits some of which have led to people coming to the studio to see and to buy.

Alex has some paintings in Kranenburg Fine Arts Winter show in Oban. Drawings and paintings done while in France in October.

We have just returned from an eight week visit to our house in St.Martin des Puits, Aude. Our autumn visit always helps to recharge batteries and provides new inspiration for our work.

This year we saw two very good exhibitions – a retrospective of a French artist, new to us, Jean-Pierre Pinceman at the Museum of Modern Art in Ceret and Mediteranean works of Raoul Dufy at the Musee Paul Valery in Sete near Montpellier. Both shows were well worth visiting.

We always seem to find new places to visit, despite having spent the last fifteen years exploring the area, and this year went to the Chateux of Lastours, north of Carcassonne; the busy fishing port of Sete, near Montpellier; and on our return trip visited St. Jean de Luz and the western end of the Pyrenees, through Basque country en route to Santander. ( The Guggenheim Gallery At Bilbao was unfortunately closed the day we passed by.)

The weather this year was not so good for working en plein air – the Tramontane blowing and rain ( as much as 10″ in a 2 day period)- however generally it was sunnier and we managed to do some work.

We’ll post new images on the website as soon as they’re ready.

Midge has submitted a new wall piece entitled “Sack Cloth” to the EDGE exhibition entitled ‘Starting Points’ at the Arts Complex, St. Margaret’s House, Edinburgh from 9 – 23 October 2010.

New work  have been added to our online shop – landscape paintings by Alex from Arisaig, Tiree  and St.Kilda, and a textile hanging by Midge entitled ‘Lace with Trees‘.

Giclée prints are on offer at the NEW PRICE of £45.00 including p&p. Visit our online shop to view the selection of prints on offer.

Alex’ paintings continue to be on show at the Pier House Seafood Restaurant in Port Appin and as part of Kranenburg Fine Art’s Summer Show in Oban, and can be viewed by appointment at the Studio, Port Appin.

The Oban Times dated 24 June 2010 has a photograph showing the raffle being drawn for our Open Studio Week by our friend and neighbour Helen Currie. The accompanying article publicises the funds raised for Action for ME which is a charity we most wish to support.

Last week’s Open Studio at Port Appin was very successful with Alex’s West Highland and Hebridean paintings and prints and Midge’s colourful textured textile pieces proving popular with both local visitors and tourists.

£450 was raised , a percentage of the proceeds of sales and the raffle, for Action for ME charity. The raffle prize, an oil painting of Berneray Sand Dunes, N.Uist by Alex was won by local Port Appin resident Catriona MacKenzie.  The studio now reverts to being open by appointment only but visitors are always welcome.

Artworks can also be purchased online at our new Online Shop on our website.

You are invited to the opening day on Saturday, 05 June 2010 to visit our studio, to see (or buy) our work, have some refreshments and buy a raffle ticket to win a painting. A percentage of the proceeds of sale and the raffle will go to Action for ME charity. A selection of paintings, textile art, prints, cards and jewellery are for sale. The studio will be open daily from 11am – 4pm until Sat 12 June ( excluding Wednesday 09 June 2010).

Our new website is designed to give easy access to our services and tell you a little about us. We can take orders for our artworks by phone or e-mail or by visiting our online shop.

Each year we make a trip to the Western Isles for inspiration. Trips have included Mull, Skye, North and South Uist, Barra and most recently to Harris , Lewis and St.Kilda. This year it will be Tiree, staying in a modernised black house.

The Studio will be open to the public from 05-12 June 2010, giving a chance to see a working artists studio and the opportunity to buy a variety of artwork at modest prices.

Alex Gourlay currently has some paintings on show at Kranenburg Fine Art’s Winter Show in Oban.