‘Fleeting moments’ inspire work in new Gadderie exhibition

An exhibition of paintings and prints by visual artist Linda Newington, entitled Dazzled, begins on Saturday in Da Gadderie at Shetland Museum.

Resident in the isles, she first visited Shetland in 2008 which was followed by a month’s residency in June 2010 at The Booth, Scalloway. During that time she started exploring the area through walking and drawing.

Following the residency many visits were made to Shetland at different times of year. Newington’s sketchbooks, photograph albums and watercolour samples form an essential part of her practice. These resources frequently provide the starting points for larger paintings, watercolours and prints made back in the studio.

The colours and elements of landscape are often the beginnings for her paintings and prints. The process of using colour, mark making and texture contribute to the creation of images in evoking a response to the places walked.

Newington graduated from Winchester School of Art in the 1970s with a first class honours degree in Fine Art specialising in painting. She then trained as a librarian while working at the Natural History Museum in London, curating the collection of botanical paintings, prints and drawings. This led to a lasting interest in natural history. She moved to Shetland in 2016.

Museum exhibitions officer John Hunter said: “The essence of a place is sometimes hard to capture but Linda has found a way to depict fleeting moments of the elements in Shetland.

“The link between representational and abstract painting can be glimpsed in some of her works helping to show the sources of her ideas. By imagining yourself walking in the landscape while looking at these paintings you are connected to impressions of the day through colour, form and light.”

The exhibition runs until Sunday 16th June.