Latest news with #MorningsideGallery
Edinburgh Reporter
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Reporter
Edinburgh gallery shows art by local school children in competition
An independent Edinburgh art gallery is to exhibit work from some of the city's youngest artists, showcasing the entries from a dog-themed drawing and painting competition. Morningside Gallery launched the children's competition to accompany Woof! The Dog Show which runs in the gallery until 8th June and includes new paintings from over twenty contemporary Scottish artists. All of the artworks feature favourite four-legged friends and continue an age-old tradition of artists drawing inspiration from their canine companions. The competition, judged by artist and author Catherine Rayner, is for children aged between 4 and 12 years old. The gallery has received almost 700 entries, demonstrating the creativity and imagination of Edinburgh school children. Entries were received from schools across the city, including Sciennes Primary School which submitted artworks from children in every class at the school. The winning artworks from each age category will be hung in the gallery over the weekend of the 31st May/1st June, alongside a display of the runner up entries, and a selection of favourites from gallery staff. All entries will appear in a special competition book which can either be purchased or viewed digitally from the 31st May. Sharon McGhee, Head Teacher, Sciennes Primary School said:'Sciennes Primary School was absolutely delighted to participate in the WOOF! Drawing competition. Our children explored the theme of dogs in art, were inspired by some of the first famous dog painters and used a range of media to create their own unique artwork. In fact, our children think their creations deserve a round of a-paws!' Ben (age 10), one of the young artists who has entered the competition, said: 'It was a joyous experience. It let us really show our personalities through dog art.' Catherine Rayner, illustrator, author and competition judge said: 'Seeing the children's entries for the dog exhibition is so heartwarming! This exhibition is especially exciting because it gives young people the opportunity to be part of a real gallery show – such a wonderful and confidence-building experience. It's an absolute honour to have my own work hanging in the beautiful Morningside Gallery alongside these bright young talents – our future artists, authors, and illustrators.' Based at Church Hill in Morningside, the gallery will display a selection of the children's drawings and paintings alongside more than 50 new paintings in the main exhibition, which can also be viewed online and toured as a virtual exhibition for anyone who can't make it to Edinburgh. The exhibition will run in the gallery until Sunday 8th June, and is open to the public. The gallery will hold a drinks reception on Sunday 1st June 2-4 pm – all are welcome, and especially the children, parents and teachers who have been involved in the competition. For more details, contact the gallery via All of the entries can be viewed in this catalogue published in print and online. Like this: Like Related
Scotsman
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Edinburgh gallery showcases dog-inspired art from almost 700 local school children
Morningside Gallery launched the children's competition to accompany Woof! The Dog Show which runs in the gallery until 8th June and includes new paintings from over twenty contemporary Scottish artists. All of the artworks feature favourite four-legged friends and continue an age-old tradition of artists drawing inspiration from their canine companions. The competition, judged by artist and author Catherine Rayner, is for children aged between 4 and 12 years old. The gallery has received almost 700 entries, demonstrating the creativity and imagination of Edinburgh school children. Entries were received from schools across the city, including Sciennes Primary School which submitted artworks from children in every class at the school. The winning artworks from each age category will be hung in the gallery over the weekend of the 31st May/1st June, alongside a display of the runner up entries, and a selection of favourites from gallery staff. All entries will appear in a special competition book which can either be purchased or viewed digitally from the 31st May. Sharon McGhee, Head Teacher, Sciennes Primary School said, 'Sciennes Primary School was absolutely delighted to participate in the WOOF! Drawing competition. Our children explored the theme of dogs in art, were inspired by some of the first famous dog painters and used a range of media to create their own unique artwork. In fact, our children think their creations deserve a round of a-paws!' Ben (age 10),one of the young artists who has entered the competition, said, 'It was a joyous experience. It let us really show our personalities through dog art.' Catherine Rayner, illustrator, author and competition judge said, 'Seeing the children's entries for the dog exhibition is so heartwarming! This exhibition is especially exciting because it gives young people the opportunity to be part of a real gallery show - such a wonderful and confidence-building experience. It's an absolute honour to have my own work hanging in the beautiful Morningside Gallery alongside these bright young talents - our future artists, authors, and illustrators.' Based at Church Hill in Morningside, the gallery will display a selection of the children's drawings and paintings alongside more than 50 new paintings in the main exhibition, which can also be viewed online and toured as a virtual exhibition for anyone who can't make it to Edinburgh. The exhibition will run in the gallery until Sunday 8th June, and is open to the public. The gallery will hold a drinks reception on Sunday 1st June 2-4pm - all are welcome, and especially the children, parents and teachers who have been involved in the competition. For more details, contact the gallery via All of the entries can be viewed in this catalogue published in print and online. 1 . Contributed One of almost 700 entries received from Edinburgh school children. Photo: Submitted Photo Sales 2 . Contributed One of almost 700 entries received from Edinburgh school children. Photo: Submitted Photo Sales 3 . Contributed One of almost 700 entries received from Edinburgh school children. Photo: Submitted Photo Sales 4 . Contributed One of almost 700 entries received from Edinburgh school children. Photo: Submitted Photo Sales Related topics: Edinburgh
Edinburgh Reporter
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Reporter
Under Open Skies at Thomson's Tower
Under Open Skies by Jennifer Austin will be exhibited at Thomson's Tower, the yellow octagonal building on the shores of Duddingston Loch has entertained many artists in its 200 years including Henry Raeburn, who immortalised the loch in his painting of 'Rev Robert Walker, skating on Duddingston Loch'. The Tower has also welcomed J.M.W. Turner 'the painter of light', he of 'big skies'; so how appropriate then that, the red carpet has been rolled out for Orkney's Jennifer Austin – her exhibition 'Under Open Skies' is scheduled for the second week in June. Jennifer has exhibited previously; in Orkney at the Workshop and Loft Gallery in St Margaret's Hope (May 2024) and at Highland Park in Kirkwall (March 2025) and in Edinburgh, at the Morningside Gallery (2024). She is completely self-taught and a pupil of the school of trial and error; she is the first to admit that her painterly craft and subsequent success and achievement owes much to YouTube during lockdown. This exhibition is a celebration of light; more specifically how light falls in, on and through the natural world. On display will be a mixture of oils and prints that illustrate Jennifer's relationship with light – a relationship that has been acquired through her Orkney upbringing. 'Light' in Orkney is special – in the summer it can go on forever while in the winter, though in shorter supply, it can reveal itself in moments of intensity. It's in Jennifer's blood and in the air she breathes; both are revealed in her paintings – none more so than in the impressive 'Golden Hour'. I think Turner would have approved. Jennifer's exhibition runs from 8 to 14 June 2025 between 10am and 3pm at: Thomson's Tower in Dr Neil's Garden 5 Old Church Lane EH15 3PX Tim Dean This author does not have any more posts. Like this: Like Related
Scotsman
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Look inside the charming Edinburgh dog exhibition that's already selling out of paintings
From Gainsborough's portraits, to William Wegman's weimaraner photographs, our pups have always been celebrated in art. Fiona Macrae Now, at an Edinburgh gallery, they're hosting a show that's dedicated to our four-legged pals. Woof! The Dog Show opens at the Morningside Gallery on Saturday May 24, and runs until June 8. It features 50 new pieces of work - mainly paintings but with a few sculptures in the mix - from the likes of Joe Hargan PAI PPAI, Gordon Mitchell RSA RSW, Joyce Gunn Cairns MBE, Stuart Buchanan and Gordon Wilson. As Eileadh Swan, director of the venue, says: 'It really is an incredible showcase of work from some wonderful contemporary artists, each with their own take on this timeless theme'. To run alongside the exhibition, they're hosting a children's drawing competition, with illustrator and author Catherine Rayner, who created books including the Molly, Olive and Dexter series., as the head judge. They've already had around 700 entries from local schoolchildren, and the winning artworks will hang in the gallery alongside the main exhibition on Saturday May 31 and Sunday June 1, with an accompanying catalogue to feature all of the entries. We asked Swan to tell us more about the exhibition. Why did you decide to put together a dog-themed show? One of our team is a dog lover and she had been researching famous dog paintings. She showed us various books and we chatted about Picasso and Hockney in particular. We also have a lot of doggy visitors to the gallery - Morningside and Bruntsfield are full of dogs and people do love them, so we thought it would be great to bring these two elements together - dogs in art and peoples' love of dogs. There are all sorts of reasons why people buy and engage with art, but one of the main ones is that they find it meaningful and have an emotional connection to the work, so this exhibition really ticks that box. It's also an opportunity to do something a little fun and really lean into the silly and joyful nature of dogs, and their individual characters. Just hanging the exhibition has already generated so much interest from passers-by, so we can't wait to welcome everyone in to enjoy the show. Why is Morningside such a dog-friendly area? There are a lot of dog-friendly cafés and shops locally, plus so much green space for dogs and their owners to enjoy. How did you decide on the shortlist of artists? We asked many of our regular artists to take part - some of them occasionally feature dogs within their paintings and others were delighted to take up the theme and challenge. The exhibition is not a collection of dog portraits, but rather a celebration of dogs - the paintings featured often have a narrative and story and the dogs are part of a larger context. Others focus on the faces,the softness of the fur, or the naughty glint in the eye - there's a real range within the exhibition but everything involves dogs in some way. Some work has already sold, why do you think those particular pictures went so fast? People often keep an eye out for new paintings from their favourite artists. We had a small dog painting by Fiona Macrae that everyone loved in our January 2025 Small Paintings Exhibition. A larger painting by the artist was the first to go this time as people were watching out for her work. Joe Hargan was quick to follow, again because his work has a large following - he often features dogs within his paintings (and cats!). Are the sculptures as popular? The Gemma Rees sculptures are very popular - they are lifelike and convey so much of the character of each dog. As a group in the window they create quite a stir with people gathering round, smiling and pointing out their favourites. They are just so engaging and even seem to warm the hearts of the doggy-indifferent. Any personal favourites in the line-up? I love Gordon Mitchell's Peggy because it's such a striking image. Also the big Joe Hargan painting A Question of Balance, as I'm a fan of the colour, composition and of course the dog painting within a dog painting - classic Hargan! And Richard Twose's Green Sofa, which is sumptuous, poised and elegant, with the dog looking out at the viewer, a perfect subject. But there are just too many to choose one! Tell us more about the children's competition We've often thought about connecting more with our local community in different ways. This started as a small idea and it's really grown arms and legs. We thought we would get a hundred entries if we were lucky and planned a little catalogue, but have ended up with over 700 entries - we're really bowled over by the enthusiasm. Illustrator and author Catherine Rayner agreed to judge the entries and we're looking forward to sharing a digital catalogue of all of the works by these budding young artists. We will also enjoy welcoming some of the children to see the show and of course for the winners to see their entries hanging as part of the exhibition. Will you do a cat-themed show in the future? Possibly! The exhibition is open to the public, with all welcome to the Private View from 2 - 4pm on May 24., Morningside Gallery, 94 Morningside Road, Edinburgh (0131 447 3041, 1 . Joyce Gunn Cairns - A Tentative Kiss Joyce Gunn Cairns Photo: Joyce Gunn Cairns Photo Sales 2 . Brian Henderson - Plastic Dog Brian Henderson Photo: Brian Henderson Photo Sales 4 . Louis Sinclair McNally - On the Surf Louis Sinclair McNally Photo: Louis Sinclair McNally Photo Sales Related topics: ArtistsEdinburghDogsPeopleMorningsideNatureCommunityPicassoCatsGainsboroughWork
Edinburgh Reporter
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Reporter
New art exhibition celebrates man's best friend
An Edinburgh art gallery its opening a new exhibition of work from some of Scotland's most notable contemporary artists, celebrating the joy, loyalty and character of dogs. Woof! The Dog Show opens in Morningside Gallery on Saturday 24th May, and includes new paintings from over twenty contemporary Scottish artists. All of the artworks feature favourite four-legged friends and continue an age-old tradition of artists drawing inspiration from their canine companions. Few subjects have captured the hearts of artists and audiences as enduringly as the faithful hound. From Pablo Picasso's paintings of his beloved dachshund Lump to David Hockney's warm and intimate 'Dog Days' series, dogs have been a cherished source of subject material for artists over the centuries. The exhibition includes work from a range of contemporary artists, including Joe Hargan PAI PPAI, Gordon Mitchell RSA RSW, Joyce Gunn Cairns MBE, Stuart Buchanan and Gordon Wilson. Another of the featured artists, illustrator and author Catherine Rayner, will act as judge for an accompanying children's drawing competition. The response to the competition has been huge, with almost 700 entries received from Edinburgh school children. The winning artworks will hang in the gallery alongside the main exhibition on Saturday 31 May and Sunday 1 June, with an accompanying catalogue featuring all of the entries. Eileadh Swan, director of Morningside Gallery said: 'We're absolutely delighted to launch this exhibition – it continues a long-standing tradition and it really is an incredible showcase of work from some wonderful contemporary artists, each with their own take on this timeless theme.' Catherine Rayner, illustrator, author and competition judge said: 'Seeing the children's entries for the dog exhibition is so heartwarming! Man's best friend has always been a huge inspiration for me – I love drawing dogs. I've held exhibitions full of them, painted them in every size and medium imaginable, and even written books about them. What makes this exhibition so special is that it celebrates the idea that art and illustration are for everyone – not just those who've already stepped into galleries. I hope it inspires little ones who dream of a creative future, and encourages people of all ages to pick up a pencil and draw more!' Based at Church Hill in Morningside, the gallery will display more than 50 new paintings for the exhibition, which can also be viewed online and toured as a virtual exhibition for anyone who can't make it to Edinburgh. The exhibition will run in the gallery from Saturday 24 May – Sunday 8 June, and is open to the public, with all welcome to the Private View from 2 – 4pm on 24 May. Like this: Like Related
