Jonathan Shearer
‘A Sense of Place’
Jonathan Shearer ‘In the work for this exhibition I have been exploring some new locations and also returning to some old haunts. In particular, last autumn, I explored the rivers Blackwater, Affric, Averon and Findhorn with their fascinating rock formations and waters in spate set against the splendid autumn colour in the surrounding woodlands. I have also been exploring the mountains and have been working up some larger paintings from older winter sketches as I feel that winter brings out the best in the mountains. I have done a few painting excursions to Assynt, a place I can never tire of painting as it is a truly magnificent landscape. Summer excursions to Skye, Arisaig and Iona have provided some coastal inspiration. In all, I hope that this exhibition will convey my response to the landscape of the North and North West Highlands in all the seasons.’ - Jonathan Shearer
The entire exhibition can be viewed on the Castle Gallery’s website at: www.castlegallery.co.uk Cover:
Autumn River, oil on canvas, 70(h) X 91(w) cm
Winter Birches, Novar Woods oil on canvas 100(h) X 100(w) cm
“I knew when I had looked for a long time that I had hardly begun to see. The eye sees what it didn’t see before, or sees in a new way what it had already seen” from ‘The Living Mountain’ by Nan Shepherd
en plein air This exhibition features Jonathan’s most ambitious work to date. He seeks to convey his physical engagement with the landscape; preferring to work en plein air and painting swiftly, applying thick oil paint using trowels and brushes to capture the fleeting moment and rapidly changing light conditions. Jonathan is totally committed to painting on the spot, even complaining one glorious summer that there was not enough wind and rain to make the landscape more interesting! It is only though experiencing the landscape in this way and through hard work and dedication in all weathers, that an artist can truly capture the excitement of the Scottish landscape.
Lichen Woods, Coulhill oil on canvas, 86(h) X 135(w) cm
Blackwater from Silver Bridge oil on canvas, 60(h) X 80(w) cm
Blackwater Narrows, oil on board, 21(h) X 25(w) cm
Autumn Averon III, oil on board, 21(h) X 25(w) cm
Autumn on the Affric, oil on board, 21(h) X 25(w) cm
Ardtoe, oil on board, 21(h) X 25(w) cm
Sand Dunes, Camusdarach, oil on canvas, 13(h) X 18(w) cm
Deep Blue Rock Pool, Camusdarrach oil on canvas, 60(h) X 80(w) cm
Birch Trees, Loch Moidart, oil on canvas, 65(h) X 110(w) cm
Autumn Birch II, Rogie, oil on board, 20(h) X 25(w) cm
Autumn Reflection, Beinn Dearg, oil on board, 15(h) X 31(w) cm
Autumn Eve on Lochan Dubh, Assynt oil on board 18(h) X 25(w) cm
Cona’ Mheall and Loch Glascarnoch, oil on canvas, 25(h) X 50(w) cm
Mountain Colour, oil on board, 13(h) X 17(w) cm
Iona, North Beach oil on board 15(h) X 21(w) cm
Summer Blues, Iona, oil on board, 18(h) X 31(w) cm
Autumn Eve Light, Stac Polly
Ben Mor Coigach, Autumn
oil on board, 20(h) X 25(w) cm
oil on board, 20(h) X 25(w) cm
Three Sisters from Old Military Road, oil on board, 16(h) X 31(w) cm
Autumn Blackwater, oil on canvas, 50(h) X 77(w) cm
Blackwater Rapids oil on board 21(h) X 26(w) cm
Wild Sea I oil on canvas 15(h) X 30(w) cm
Wild Sea II oil on canvas 15(h) X 30(w) cm
Last Light on Cona’ Mheall, oil on canvas, 30(h) X 40(w) cm
Killearnan January oil on canvas 30(h) X 24(w) cm
Ardross Woods in the Snow, oil on canvas, 47(h) X 96(w) cm
Winter Corries, Cairngorms, oil on canvas, 36(h) X 18(w) cm
Coire an t-Sneachda, oil on board, 17(h) X 50(w) cm
Novar Woods in Winter oil on board 20(h) X 51(w) cm
Into the Winter Birchwood oil on board 20(h) X 51(w) cm
Winter Reflection, oil on board, 50(h) X 40(w) cm
Winter Birches, Study oil on board 25(h) X 20(w) cm
Back Page:
Culcraggie Burn II oil on canvas 50(h) X 77(w) cm
JONATHAN SHEARER EDUCATION 1989 - 1993 1995 - 1996
Grays School of Art, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen BA (Hons) Painting and Drawing Cyprus College of Art, Post Grad Dip. Painting and Drawing
AWARDS 2013 2005 1995 1993
Shortlisted for the Jolomo Bank of Scotland Landscape Award Fundacion Valpairiso Residency, Spain Commendation, Aberdeen Artists Exhibition John Kinross Scholarship to Florence, Royal Scottish Academy Sir Robin Phillipson Memorial Medal, Royal Scottish Academy 1st Prize, Grays Sketch Club Exhibition, Aberdeen Art Gallery
COLLECTIONS British Midland Airways, Edinburgh Airport, Cyprus College of Art, Royal Scottish Academy, Grays School of Art, Royal Cornhill Hospital, Highland Council, private collections throughout Britain, Europe, America, Cyprus and South Korea. RECENT SOLO EXHIBITIONS 2015 “A Sense of Place”, Castle Gallery, Inverness 2014 “Inks & Charcoals”, Jack Tierney Gallery, Aberdeen “The North Country”, Strathearn Gallery 2013 “Weather Dependent”, Jack Tierney Gallery, Aberdeen “Northern Exposure”, Airt Gallery, Aberdeenshire “Latitude”, Cromarty Arts Trust, Ross-shire 2012 “New Paintings from the Northern Highlands”, Castle Gallery, Inverness 2010 “In Wild Places”, Mclean Fine Art, Air Gallery, London 2009 “Atmosphere and Light”, Strathearn Gallery, Crieff 2009 “The Isles and West Coast”, Castle Gallery, Inverness 2008 “New Paintings”, Maclean Fine Art, Arndean Gallery, London
Jonathan Shearer
14th March - 4th April 2015
Castle Gallery, 43 Castle St, Inverness, IV2 3DU www.castlegallery.co.uk 01463 729512