Sunlight, Shadows and Talking Pictures at Kirkcudbright Tolbooth

From 15 June to 3 July an exhibition of paintings by Stirlingshire landscape artist Pamela McMahon will feature a new digital experience.

Visitors to the show will not only be able to view Pamela’s paintings, but, if they download the free ActivCanvas App from the App Store, they will see and hear Pamela tell them about her work on their smartphone. (iPhone and Android).

This is the first time that ActivCanvas has been used in an exhibition locally.  The App is being used by top galleries and artists to help visitors to exhibitions get a fuller appreciation of works of art and the artists behind them.

Pamela lives on the edge of the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park and is a regular visitor to the South of Scotland. Her paintings are colourful and joyful depictions of the effect of strong light and shade on places she loves and visits regularly.

Pamela said: ‘I live in the country and my preference is to paint scenes/landscapes that are special to me and a part of my everyday life. Country lanes where I walk,  trees, fields and hills that I know and love, my garden and places that make an impression on me when on holiday or out and about with family or friends. 

 
‘My aim is never just to paint a ‘pretty’ landscape or scene: the light and the mood must be special or extraordinary.  Inspiration comes when a familiar place is transformed by light into something unusually beautiful and colourful – winter sun turning tree tops gold and red – the glare of summer sun on a path – in other words, those life affirming moments that never last for long but demand you stand and stare before the light changes and the magic is lost.  My aim is to capture those moments and share them with people through my painting.”

Scenes from the area around the Solway Firth, Brighouse Bay and Threave Castle in Dumfries and Galloway, the Lake of Menteith in Stirlingshire (where Pamela lives), Kellie Castle in the East Neuk of Fife and the Boboli Gardens in Florence, Italy are all featured in this exhibition of colourful and beautiful paintings.

Councillor Tom McAughtrie, Chair of Communities Committee said:”Building the local economy is a priority for our Council and our DGC Museums and Galleries play a key role in tourist offer for the region. The Kirkcudbright Tolbooth and Art Centre’s varied and interesting programme of contemporary exhibitions has been its strength since it opened more than 20 years ago, and it is clear that dedication continues today.  DGC is particularly proud to support up and coming artists, such as Ms McMahon, by giving them the chance to display work in the prestigious Artists’ Town of Kirkcudbright and supporting them in their early endeavours.”

‘Sunlight and Shadows’  will run from 15 June to 3 July at the Tolbooth and Arts Centre, High Street, Kirkcudbright

Opening hours Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm and Sunday 1pm to 4pm

Telephone: 01557 331643  E-Mail: [email protected]

About Pamela McMahon

Pamela worked in supporting and promoting Arts and Culture for many years and masterminded the first Glasgow Art Fair and many other initiatives that helped put Glasgow on the map as the ‘City of Visual Arts’ back in 1996.  She also held management roles in Glasgow Museums, Hopetoun House and VisitScotland. Pamela now paints full time from her home in the Port of Menteith in Stirlingshire.

She attended courses at Glasgow School of Art and studied drawing and painting at the University of Strathclyde where she gained an Open Studies Certificate in Applied Arts.  Last year, Pamela was awarded a certificate of Special Recognition from the online Gallery ‘Light Space and Time’, a Bronze Award in an international web art competition and a Runners Up Award in an online challenge to paint a seascape.  She is a member of the Scottish Society of Artists and has work in private collections in Glasgow, Edinburgh, London and Los Angeles.

Pamela’s work can be seen on

www.pamelamcmahon.artweb.com  and www.facebook.com/pamelamcmahonart