Coast to Coast Lawrence Quigley

FEBRUARY 25 TO MARCH 18, 2023

On the 19th May, 2021, an email arrived in our inbox. The email was from artist Lawrence Quigley, I remember standing in the kitchen at Castlegate House, reading it to Christine.

We regularly receive approaches from artists, in common, I’m sure, with most of our fellow gallery peers. Most approaches include attached examples of art works or links to websites, asking if we’d like to exhibit (or sometimes asking us to buy) their work.

Lawrence, however, was different. It transpired that he has long since had an idea for a body or work, and as such a possible exhibition, charting an artist’s journey along the Coast to Coast walk – but not in one journey: more exploring the changing landscape as the seasons changed,

View across Ennerdale Water, Summer, 41 x 56 cm

Right, the artist at work on the same painting taking in the full vista the four seasons create, capturing that in paint, there and then, in the open, whatever the weather.

We thought it a great idea, and that view never changed. It didn’t change even when meeting Lawrie on some windswept day miles from the nearest town or village; then again, we were mere casual visitors, capturing his adventure on camera. Maybe it changed for Lawrie, often camping out in those conditions, trying to paint as the rain swirled about him. If it did, it didn’t show.

It’s been fascinating to watch this exhibition develop. Differing points of the famous Alfred Wainwright walk, from St Bees to Robin Hood’s Bay, captured at different times of the year. If we had to pick a season, we’d pick Autumn, but then we’re swayed –living and working in Cumbria means you realise just how special the turn from Summer to Autumn can be.

Ultimately, this was the culmination of a decades-long plan, an artistic itch to scratch, and one we’re very proud to have been able to facilitate and one we’re equally proud to be able to exhibit.

Steve and Christine Swallow

Lawrence Quigley

When I was teaching at Scarborough Art College and living in Robin Hood’s Bay many years ago, I learnt about quite a famous walk from St Bees on the Cumbrian coast to Robin Hood’s Bay on the east coast – called the Coast to Coast walk. This prompted and inspired the idea to maybe visually record the walk through a series of landscape paintings done throughout the year – I’ve always found the North of England landscape so rich and diverse in not only its physical terrain, but also its colours and ever-changing light throughout the seasons; and have always admired Turner in the way that he strode and trekked around most of the British Isles, visually recording and documenting his travels, and working “plein air” in response to the landscape.

The idea was put on hold… life gets in the way.

When in 2020 I returned up North to live in my home town of Birkenhead, and having taught art for a number of years in the South of England… the idea to spend a year devoted to the project began to emerge and come into focus once more. Perhaps in reaction to the Covid pandemic, and our much more appreciative response to nature, it subliminally made me want to resurrect the idea – and embark upon the project.

I was waiting to buy a property, and was subsequently living in rather compromising rented accommodation, so thought “Why not? Now’s as good a time as any.”

The idea involved camping at various locations on or near the Coast to Coast trail, every few weeks over the course of a year – visually recording, working plein air and in situ, a series of paintings in response to the landscape throughout the four seasons – different environments, different times of day, in response to the changing landscape I encountered and experienced. I also intended to keep a journal, so as to record my reactions to different views and vistas as well as other quite unexpected anecdotes.

In the summer of 2021, I embarked on the first season to be recorded: Summer. The idea was to paint about 20 paintings per season of various sizes and in various locations along the trail. It was a good season to start, as I was camping, and the weather not too incongruous. (Having said that, in August, a series of wild thunderstorms in Cumbria nearly broke my tent poles – and the rain soaked just about everything in the tent!).

When it got to the end of October, through to early March, I stayed at more comfortable B&B accommodation in the various locations visited.

I managed over 60 paintings in the end, averaging about 15 per season.

The one abiding sense or intuitive feeling (as opposed to memory) is of a renewed connection with nature and the landscape itselfsomething I wasn’t expecting, and something difficult to express.

At times, when I was painting plein air at a particular spot on the journey, I became aware (or I should say unaware) of myself. I found myself almost part of its pulse or heartbeat and movementand often the paintings just ‘happened’ as if I wasn’t there.

It sounds mad, but I only became aware of it when I had stopped working - and I often found myself on all fours with the painting on the ground, having started either sitting or standing at an easel.

I also found myself walking around the painting as I worked, and making emotive (almost primitive) guttural sounds as I was applying and ‘feeling’ the application of brush marks and gesturesreminiscent of some sort of Shamanic ritual or ceremony.

I even noticed that the sheep (obviously different ones in each location!), began to gradually get closer and closer to me over the year as I was working - maybe they thought I was one of them, on ‘all fours’ or sensed something non-threatening - something I was unconsciously exuding perhaps?

It made me realise how removed we have all become in relation to our spiritual connection and relationship with nature… and how essential it is to our overall wellbeing, both mental and physical.

Lawrence Quigley, January 2023