Laura Drever

How wonderful it was to go back to Edinburgh to the hustle and bustle of city life – much different to Island life, however both are full of wonderful people and interesting conversations. It was great to see some familiar faces and to meet the artists who are also part Frontiers.

One of the first questions I was asked was “are you from Edinburgh or Glasgow?” The response when I said “I come from Orkney and have travelled down especially” was “Goodness that’s a long way to come! ” I quite like it when folk ask that, it gives a chance to highlight that Orkney (and further North than the central belt) is part of the Creative Landscape that, in my opinion, make Scotland so vibrant.

Conversations tend to then lead on to the connections others have with the islands: the times visited, friends or family and how the experience when visiting was unforgettable. A place of big skies, openness, wind and calm.

While studying at Edinburgh College of Art (1999-2003) my chosen dissertation topic was a ‘A Sense of Place’. I loved the practical side of Art School, found the written side a real challenge. Being very young, terrible at writing/researching/discussing (I’m not exaggerating – my sister has an English literature degree and when she first proofread my scribbles – she burst out laughing. As big sisters do, she then guided me through how best to pull my ideas together, be a bit more focused. Was never very sure at what my tutors thought but given their smirks, I imagine they were thinking the same as my sister!) and wanted to make the point that places like Orkney – geographically distant, smaller populations – are a significant part of Scotlands Creative Landscape. Maybe one day, I will rewrite the dissertation using more than a few books from the library shelves and pen and paper – or perhaps I’ll just read with interest the fluent writings of others on the topic.

Reviews and viewers opinions are starting to filter in about the exhibition. Sometimes the making of the artwork is the easy part. What comes next, when it is taken out of the studio for all to see is when a new reflection starts. This is mine…

Exhibiting at the Royal Scottish Academy with Frontiers: Painting in Scotland Now has made me reflect about time passed. From receiving the MacLaine Watters Medal as a student back in 2003, bringing up two kids, getting my first dedicated studio space, my first major solo show, all the tubes of paints used, all the colours mixed. Making a home in Orkney, a place which enables, inspires and supports.

When walking into the Gallery spaces at The Royal Scottish Academy, I first noticed all the paint and the different ways it was being used by the other 30 artists. There was a faint smell of paint which could have been the paintings themselves or maybe the walls had been freshly painted in preparation for the hanging – either way, it felt familiar. My second thought was how much hard work and dedication has gone into each artwork. Then I began to look closer – the brush marks, the colours, the subject matter, the textures, the thickness of application of paint, the dimensions, the variety – it was exciting to see so many paintings. All started from the same nothing to become something using paint and a brush.

I’ll leave the proper reviews to those that can write them. What I’d like to say is thank you for inviting me to be part of Frontiers – to co-curtors Flora La Thangue and Robbie Bushe RSA. To the team at the RSA for hanging, producing a wonderful publication to sit alongside the exhibition and to the artists for keeping the conversations about painting relevant.

If you are in Edinburgh it really is worth a visit. Showing until 8th September 2024. If you can’t get there in person you can view online or in the Publication. There is also an event on 28th August (see link for more info)

Finally, on my return home, conversations have continued with fellow exhibitors, friends from long ago and new contacts. This is one of the best descriptions of Orkney I’ve heard in a while and I am going to treasure this …

“I think it is the biggest small place in the world ” Barry McGlashan