The Strathearn Gallery FOR MORE INFORMATION
One of the UK’S most accomplished and renowned wildlife painters, Claire Harkess RSW opens a new solo exhibition, Fine Feathers at the Strathearn Gallery in Crieff
Perthshire-based Claire has travelled worldwide to the Arctic, Antarctic and Galapagos Islands, all providing inspiration for her paintings. For her new collection of works, Claire has looked closer to home to study animals we are all lucky to encounter in our everyday life: Birds.
No one is more entranced by birds and their habitats than Claire, and her fascination and admiration shines through in her work as she strives to capture the fleeting glimpses, fluttering and soaring wings and melodic birdsong.
‘It’s the joy and challenge of each moment that keeps me returning to this world – there’s always so much going on. This exhibition is a collection of moments – exploring everyday birds and flora. Painted over the seasons, from a bursting rose in July to the skeletal framework of a rowan tree where blackbirds wait for breakfast to be served.’
An award-winning watercolour artist, Claire deserves to be considered a modern master of this notoriously difficult medium. Her work was recognised on an international level in 2017 by winning the David Shepherd Wildlife Artist of the Year award in London – a revered wildlife art competition and exhibition.
It is Claire’s use of different techniques, paper types and continually pushing the boundaries of her carefully considered compositions that is pivotal in her painting. In this collection, she combines heavy papers and boards with infinitely fragile transparent Chinese papers. Rich swathes of vibrant colours have been created by building up and washing down layers and layers of paint – a stark contrast to the delicate but powerful compositions with minimalist brushstrokes.
‘Working in watercolour offers a directness and energy that suits the subject matter. The balance of pigment, water, paper and brush is key. Sometimes a calligraphic brushstroke is enough to convey the dynamics of flight. Others, it’s the joy of paint pouring, uncontrolled and unpredictable, taking days to dry. The excitement of seeing the results, which pigments have pooled or separated and the puzzle of how to develop and complete a painting continues to feed my passion for the medium.’
Incorporating collage brings a quality that cannot be expressed through paint alone. I enjoy bringing together disparate elements - treasured painting segments, various paper types or printed script. The difference in using a cut or torn edge and sometimes a hairline of gold leaf along the join. This idea comes from ‘kintsugi’, a 500-year-old Japanese technique of restoring broken ceramics. The cracks left visible, filled with lacquer and gold are seen as stronger and more beautiful than before.’
Always central to Claire’s paintings and dear to her heart is recognition of the fragility of the natural world and conveying how vulnerable some species are through her work.
‘So easily taken for granted, it is unthinkable birdsong should ever fall silent. Yet for a long time birds and the natural world have faced myriad threats- over exploitation, climate change, habitat loss, and most recently the devastating avian H5N1.
Their call is our call and this exhibition is a small shout out on their behalf.’