Wester Ross exhibition offers glimpse into work of students immersed in Bridge House Art course with unveiling at An Talla Solais in Ullapool
THE portfolio work of 11 students who attended an immersive art course in Wester Ross will be unveiled to the public later this month.
The Glimpse Exhibition produced by the Bridge House Art group will be shared at Ullapool's An Talla Solais for a week from Sunday, February 27.
The students, ranging in age from 18 to 70+, began the full-time course in October 2021.Four come from the Highlands, but most travelled from much further afield – one from New York State. All made Ullapool their home for the duration of the course.
Local author LG Thomson, who lives in Ullapool, is using the course as "an intriguing and creative way" to develop her writing. She said: “I signed up for a one-week summer course with Bridge House Art and applied what I learned there to the book I was working on at the time. Within weeks, it was picked up by an American publisher. I’m very excited to see what will happen after the portfolio course.”
Another student, Sue Slack, is already a successful landscape artist with a studio in Lockton, on the edge of the North York Moors. She joined the course to learn new ways of working. She said: “The combination of excellent tutoring on the course and the magnificent Highland scenery have given my landscapes a new energy.”
Slack is one of the Spartans – a group of students who meet for early morning swims in the chilly waters of Loch Broom before beginning work in the studio. She said, “I know that when I go home to North Yorkshire, a little bit of my heart will remain in the Highlands.”
Visitors to the exhibition will experience a thought-provoking range of art from figurative to abstract, using materials ranging from traditional oils, printmaking, and acrylics, to found cloth, collage, and ink and bleach. Student sketchbooks and portfolios will also be on display, giving a fascinating insight into the creative process.