Aviemore artist Joanna McDonough has unique view of Cairngorms
There is nothing like a sprung tight deadline to start getting busy.
Rothiemurchus-based artist Joanna McDonough was spurred into action at short notice - and that is no small thing when the subject is the majestic Cairngorms!
Her abstract views of the magnificent vistas will soon be lighting up the Highlands’ premier arts venue.
The exhibition entitled ‘Highland Vistas: The Space Between’ is being hosted at The Stall Gallery at Inverness’ Eden Court from the end of this month.
McDonough’s series of landscape acrylic paintings on canvas range are an exploration of the space between abstraction and reality and will form her largest exhibition to date.
She told the Strathy: “I had a collection of artworks that were stacking up so I touched base with venues that I have exhibited at in the past including Eden Court.
“They were fully booked until 2026 and asked if I was interested for then.
“I said ‘Of course’ but then they contacted me just before Christmas and said they had a space to fill in May.
“So I have been working frantically ever since pulling the exhibition together.
“I had quite a few completed works already so it was more a case of topping up to make sure I have enough but it has still been a crazy spell!”
I do not paint outdoors but I am a good observer and I absorb everything - so these works and their inspiration all come from within my head.
McDonough will have around 25 paintings on display ranging from larger works measuring in one metre by one metre to smaller pieces.
She said: “They are all based on the Cairngorms and the beauty that surrounds us. I have called it The Space Between as it is the gap between realism and abstraction and what I see as my space in-between.
“I do not paint outdoors but I am a good observer and I absorb everything - so these works and their inspiration all come from within my head.
“I do not work from photographs as that makes my work veer towards realism.
“I often start my paintings just by putting down some marks down and I then generally have some colour ideas and see where it goes from there.”
On the venue, she said: “There are vast big walls to fill and there is good light.
“My work is about scale of the landscape so in a place where there is so much space I can stand back and appreciate the works more - I can usually only stand back 10 feet in my own home studio.”
‘Highland Vistas: The Space Between’ is on show in The Stalls Gallery from April 27 until May 23.
