Big Art Auction painting brings new perspective

By Lindsey Turnbull

An art piece depicting her familiar Barkers National Park has been put up for the National Gallery’s Big Art Auction this year by artist Terry Grimes, and this collection of three paintings brings an exciting viewpoint to the location in West Bay that the artist knows so well.

The piece is entitled ‘Red Birch Barkus Merger’ and is a studio piece combining three ‘plein air’ (painted outdoors) pieces from three weekends of paintings at Barkers National Park and the surrounding areas along the peninsula.

Terry explained: “The left painting is of the Head of Barkus with views through the surrounding mangrove overlooking Tern Island/Vidal Cay. The right painting is east of Barkers Natural Roundabout (my name for this turn around/about) where the marl/sand roads end on the beach side of Barkers before one can turn around to head back up. This is just before the Head of Barkus and Palmetto Pond area. The middle painting is the top middle of the beach side of Barkers, where the Red Birch form an arch walkway / access to the beach side……. where the chickens hang, where the horses roam.”

All the paintings were created at sunset with the bounce of light on the various vegetation of each piece: mangroves; Seagrape; red birch, she said.

Although originally an oil painter, Terry said she created the paintings using acrylic paint which she has been using since 2008.

Viewing the three as a whole, the overall perspective is striking.

“The three pleins were “merged” into one painting suggesting the way one actually observes a subject …. rarely as a whole, more of various glimpses patched together by the brain which creates the whole picture, in this case the peninsula of Barkers and its various landmark features: old-growth forests and coastal mangrove; Seagrape and red birch,” she advised.

Terry said the piece was created in 2017 for her ‘Gestures in Pleining’ art show and was a way of showing how she was thinking people saw things.

“A kind of portrayal of the process, captured glimpses, creating a whole picture,” she said.

Terry is continuing with her plein air work while also experimenting with her studio work, attempting to pull the two together, “trying to capture the rhythms and bounce of colour and light in a more expressionistic way.... stretching the boundaries of line and form.”

Terry is no stranger to the National Gallery’s Big Art Auction, which happens every two years, having participated since its inception.

“My first piece was ‘West Bay Merger’ a collection of scenes and moments from along Batabano Road and Elizabeth St.,” she advised. “I also put in a ‘Barkers Bridges Merger’, which was a scenic collection of the various mosquito bridges up in Barkers, and a ‘Seaponds Merger’ also from Barkers in West Bay.”

Most of her auction entries have showcased her presentation of the various landscapes that she said she was lucky to have in her backyard in West Bay.

“My last entry was an expressionistic diptych of Seaside Seagrapes which have now been removed, almost totally gone from our seasides. They were used for shade, for respite from the strong sun, from the glare coming off the water, a place to hang one’s drying clothes, to read a book, etc. At that time, there were these wonderful Seagrape clumps along Seven Mile, South Sound, West Bay, etc. As well-known as map locations, used for weekend gatherings, Easter camping, and many a wedding site. I painted their ghosts...” she said.

The Big Art Auction exhibition runs until 18 November at the National Gallery and includes work by the following artists:

Jo Austin, Babbity Barwick, John Bird, Cameron Bridgeman, David Bridgeman, John Broad, Nasaria Suckoo Chollette, Randy Chollette, Davin Ebanks, Kathryn Elphinstone, Samuel Etoh, Dale Evers, Janine Every, Lana Gilyun, Teresa Grimes, Guy Harvey, Bendel Hydes, John Reno Jackson, Jason Kennedy, Charles Long, Iain MacRae, Linda McCann, Claire Pettinati, Yonier Powery, Kay Smith, Gordon Solomon, and Larisa Sved.

 To schedule a tour email development@nationalgallery.org.ky .