Spring Fling 2016, Dumfries and Galloway annual open artist and makers studios event, entered its 14th season with 94 participants across the region. Every year Spring Fling offers art lovers an opportunity to peek into the local artists’ creative practices, follows a progress from a simple sketch to the finished art piece and have a personal chat with them about what was involved in the process of creation.

As it is physically impossible to visit them all, I decided to reconnect with my last year favourites at Solway House.

I saw some new airy landscapes from Fraser Irvine and pastel sketches on display. His studio collection of cigarette packs is now longer!

Shona Guthrie who makes wearable jewellery allowed me to photograph the giant wall collage of photos, cutouts and quotes that forms her working environment. I had never seen a jeweller’s working equipment before!

I had a chat with Stephen Burney about the differences how a photographer and a landscape artist interpreted the same scene in front of them and about the idiosyncratic view angles. The series showing his sketches alongside the found objects from his landscape study trips was also revealing.

Finally I caught up with William Spurway and his newest prints, drawings and Dumfries and Galloway inspired oil landscape paintings, and got an invitation from him to the opening of his college students’ end of the year exhibition at Moat Brae.

I felt inspired to create new work too by this Spring Fling studios visit!

Fraser Irvine's studio (Spring Fling 2016 Studio 52) at Solway House
Fraser Irvine’s studio (Spring Fling 2016 Studio 52) at Solway House
Fraser Irvine in his studio
Fraser Irvine in his studio
Fraser's finished lndscape paintings
Fraser’s finished lndscape paintings
The inspiration corner
The inspiration corner
Urban scene sketch by Fraser irvine
Urban scene sketch
Examples of preparatory work
Examples of preparatory works
Tools of the trade
Tools of the trade
The last hour of the last day of Spring Fling 2016
The last hour of the last day of Spring Fling 2016
Shona Guthrie's work space (Studio 54)
Shona Guthrie’s work space (Studio 54)
Shona's wall photo collages evocative of her personality
Shona’s wall photo collages evocative of her personality
Pins?
Pins?
Tools for handmade jewellery making
Tools for jewellery making
Shona Guthrie's handmade jewellery
Some of Shona’s beautiful jewellery
Steven Burnie (Studio 56)
Steven Burnie (Studio 56)
Steven's finished work and sketches
Steven’s finished work and sketches
Steven recommended me this book for relationship betyween photography and its use in landscape painting practice
Steven recommended me this book for relationship betyween photography and its use in landscape painting practice
Artist's tools
Studio 56 – the artist’s tools
Found objects that inspired Steven's work
Found objects that inspired Steven’s work
William Spurway in his studio
William Spurway in his studio (Studio 55)
Painting paraphernalia
William’s painting paraphernalia
Studio 55, new prints made for Spring Fling
Studio 55, new prints made for Spring Fling
William examining his print in front of his finished paintings
William examining his print in front of his finished paintings
An easel with Willliam's research and sources of inspiration for Dumfries and Galloway landscapes
An easel with Willliam’s research and sources of inspiration for Dumfries and Galloway landscapes
Drawings and paintings  on display to give insight into William Spurway's creative process
Drawings and paintings on display to give insight into the artist’s creative process

Similar Posts