{"id":55788,"date":"2025-05-06T12:58:28","date_gmt":"2025-05-06T11:58:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/?p=55788"},"modified":"2025-05-06T14:04:40","modified_gmt":"2025-05-06T13:04:40","slug":"places-to-remember-douglas-davies-at-dundas-st-gallery-edinburgh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/places-to-remember-douglas-davies-at-dundas-st-gallery-edinburgh\/","title":{"rendered":"A Place to Remember: Douglas Davies at Dundas St Gallery Edinburgh"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>\u2018The Scottish Borders, where I have lived for over forty years, is a constant inspiration whatever the season, providing many views, even from the garden.&nbsp;Frequent visits to Catalonia and the north of Spain, always stimulate many of the senses&#8230;&nbsp;a vineyard, olive grove or the brilliant blue Mediterranean\u2019<\/em>. &#8211; Douglas Davies RSW<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Around the Dundas Street Gallery, <strong>Douglas Davies<\/strong> presents a painterly theme of <em>Favourite Places<\/em> at home and away, to share his personal journey through tranquil locations which have shaped his artistic creativity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As well as an accomplished watercolourist, the medium in this collection is acrylic, often blended with pastel and pencil. A recurring focus is the shifting quality of light, as observed in <em>The Duck Pond<\/em>, with a vibrant lemon sky bathing the curving contours of hills, woodland, meadow and pond in a pale golden glow.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/The-Duck-Pond-acrylic-1024x911.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-55803 lazyload\"\/><noscript><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"911\" src=\"https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/The-Duck-Pond-acrylic-1024x911.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-55803 lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/The-Duck-Pond-acrylic-1024x911.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/The-Duck-Pond-acrylic-480x427.jpg 480w, https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/The-Duck-Pond-acrylic-150x134.jpg 150w, https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/The-Duck-Pond-acrylic-768x684.jpg 768w, https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/The-Duck-Pond-acrylic.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>&#8216;The Duck Pond&#8217;, acrylic<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>From the summit of Tinto Hill, near Biggar, one can occasionally see as far as the Lake District, the mountains of Mourne in Northern Ireland, Ailsa Craig, Arran and Lochnagar in the Cairngorms. With a swirl of rose-peach tinted clouds, this may be the twilight hour over Tinto.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Tinto-Hill-acrylic-1024x893.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-55804 lazyload\"\/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"893\" src=\"https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Tinto-Hill-acrylic-1024x893.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-55804 lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Tinto-Hill-acrylic-1024x893.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Tinto-Hill-acrylic-480x418.jpg 480w, https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Tinto-Hill-acrylic-150x131.jpg 150w, https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Tinto-Hill-acrylic-768x669.jpg 768w, https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Tinto-Hill-acrylic.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>&#8216;Tinto Hill&#8217;, acrylic<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In the summer of 1905, Henri Matisse and Andr\u00e9 Derain painted together in Collioure in southern France, their collaboration becoming the springboard for the Fauvist movement. Twenty years later, Charles Rennie Mackintosh and his wife Margaret visited this French Catalan coastline on holiday, but loved it so much they decided to settle here, &#8216;<em>in this lovely rose-coloured land\u2026 with its warmth and its sun.<\/em>&#8216;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2007 Douglas Davies was awarded a prestigious placement at the first Charles Rennie Mackintosh Residency at Collioure, to experiment and explore a new creative direction in this painters\u2019 paradise.&nbsp;Nearby, Anse de Paulilles<em> <\/em>is a peaceful place of natural heritage,&nbsp;with a pure clarity of light glistening over the azure sea.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Paulilles-acrylic-1024x992.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-55805 lazyload\"\/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"992\" src=\"https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Paulilles-acrylic-1024x992.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-55805 lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Paulilles-acrylic-1024x992.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Paulilles-acrylic-480x465.jpg 480w, https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Paulilles-acrylic-150x145.jpg 150w, https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Paulilles-acrylic-768x744.jpg 768w, https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Paulilles-acrylic.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>&#8216;Paulilles&#8217;, acrylic<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>&#8216;My work starts with on-the-spot sketches which are then translated into a painting in the studio \u2013 allowing the colour, line, texture, trial and error to develop the emerging composition. Not so different to a composer or writer.<\/em>&#8216; Douglas Davies, RSW<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A climate of warm sunshine and rich soil is required to produce the region\u2019s fine wines, as illustrated in the patchwork palette of emerald green, terracotta and ochre in <em>Spring Vineyards.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Spring-Vineyards-acrylic-1024x453.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-55806 lazyload\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"453\" src=\"https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Spring-Vineyards-acrylic-1024x453.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-55806 lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Spring-Vineyards-acrylic-1024x453.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Spring-Vineyards-acrylic-480x212.jpg 480w, https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Spring-Vineyards-acrylic-150x66.jpg 150w, https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Spring-Vineyards-acrylic-768x340.jpg 768w, https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Spring-Vineyards-acrylic.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>&#8216;Spring Vineyards&#8217;, acrylic<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Davies studied Ceramics and Glass Design at Edinburgh College of Art, and perhaps it\u2019s this decorative skill which is translated in the controlled use of line and shape with crisp tone and texture. Rather than dramatic vistas, he experiments in depicting subtle elements: the shimmering glare of Mediterranean sun, a slant of winter light over frosty fields and a hazy mist like a lacy veil in <em>Grasses, <\/em>with a delicate touch.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Grasses-acrylic-1024x997.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-55807 lazyload\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"997\" src=\"https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Grasses-acrylic-1024x997.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-55807 lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Grasses-acrylic-1024x997.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Grasses-acrylic-480x467.jpg 480w, https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Grasses-acrylic-150x146.jpg 150w, https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Grasses-acrylic-768x748.jpg 768w, https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Grasses-acrylic.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>&#8216;Grasses&#8217;, acrylic<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Here too are several botanical studies such as <em>White Anemones<\/em>, a flowering plant of the buttercup family, also called windflowers; the soft petals and glossy leaves are effectively depicted with dabs of impressionistic painterly marks.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/White-Anenomes-acrylic-1-1024x1011.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-55808 lazyload\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1011\" src=\"https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/White-Anenomes-acrylic-1-1024x1011.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-55808 lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/White-Anenomes-acrylic-1-1024x1011.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/White-Anenomes-acrylic-1-480x474.jpg 480w, https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/White-Anenomes-acrylic-1-150x148.jpg 150w, https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/White-Anenomes-acrylic-1-768x758.jpg 768w, https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/White-Anenomes-acrylic-1.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>&#8216;White Anenomes&#8217;, acrylic<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In the intense heat of South of France, the sweeping, parched terrain of <em>Catalan Hillside<\/em>, under a slither of sky, resonates with a tangible stillness through a sensitive distillation of atmosphere, light, time and mood. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Catalan-Hillside-acrylic-1024x1009.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-55809 lazyload\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1009\" src=\"https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Catalan-Hillside-acrylic-1024x1009.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-55809 lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Catalan-Hillside-acrylic-1024x1009.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Catalan-Hillside-acrylic-480x473.jpg 480w, https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Catalan-Hillside-acrylic-150x148.jpg 150w, https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Catalan-Hillside-acrylic-768x756.jpg 768w, https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Catalan-Hillside-acrylic.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>&#8216;Catalan Hillside&#8217;, acrylic<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Douglas Davies takes us on a meditative journey through these still, silent, timeless landscapes of natural beauty and decorative floral studies, in quietly impressionistic scenes. \u2018Favourite Places\u2019 are not just sketchily observed &#8211; they are places and moments felt, remembered and rendered with emotional introspection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>With thanks to Vivien Devlin for this review.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><b><i>Review<\/i><\/b>: Douglas Davies presents a painterly theme of \u2018Favourite Places\u2019 at Edinburgh&#8217;s  Dundas Street Gallery, sharing a personal journey to tranquil locations which have inspired him.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":55805,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[190],"tags":[1966,163,161,1965],"topic":[252],"class_list":["post-55788","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-visual-arts-reviews","tag-artists","tag-dundas-street","tag-dundas-street-gallery-1","tag-pool","topic-exhibition-reviews"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55788","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55788"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55788\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/55805"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55788"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55788"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55788"},{"taxonomy":"topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artmag.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topic?post=55788"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}