LAYERED OBSERVATIONS
An exhibition featuring two of our most celebrated artists, Anne Gillies and Stuart Norman.
14th May - 15th June 2026
Anne Gillies
Anne is an artist living and working in East Lothian who has garnered a loyal following. Her body of work is varied as, when she is developing a piece, her focus is drawn to a greater or lesser extent away from the literal and the organic. She reworks the linear marks to become something more textured and toward the abstract.
Of her inspirations Anne says, “walking with sketchbook and camera locally gives me ample material to paint from. I am drawn to the linear aspects of the countryside and functional buildings. The paintings gradually move away from the representational, as I layer them up, colour relationships and form become more important to me.”
Stuart Norman
Stuart is a local artist based in the Borders town of Kelso. His artistic talent took a back seat until he retired from dentistry but since then he has enjoyed great success and it was his wildcard place in “Landscape Artist of the Year” show that saw him first explore harbour settings as a point of inspiration. His process involves creating observational sketches and then building layers, line, and texture using mixed media and collage techniques in his studio.
The works displayed here were created in response to three sailing voyages Stuart took in 2023, helping crew a small yacht across the Bay of Biscay, around some of the Caribbean islands and through the straits of Gibraltar. When he returned home he began researching and visiting more local harbours, some of which are depicted here. Stuart explains “the harsh, industrial weatherworn appearance of the boats and harbours, mirrored with my emotional response of my trips, has informed and directed these works. I have explored this richness by use of collage, line and layered mark making. Some of the Caribbean colour palette has also remained with me”.
