The Charles Rennie Mackintosh-designed House for an Art Lover in Glasgow’s Bellahouston Park is the setting for a solo exhibition of new and recent work by Kate Henderson SSA.
Kate won the House for an Art Lover Award at the last year’s Paisley Arts Institute annual exhibition, the prize being a solo exhibition in the House’s café gallery, where she is showing a collection of new and recent mixed media drawings inspired by her continued interest in historic architecture and nature.
Several of these pieces were developed from her residency at Studio Faire in Nerac in the Southwest of France, where she spent time drawing the churches and other buildings in the medieval town. Other subject matter is closer to home and Kate has created new work, inspired by St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh, detailing interior and exterior compositions from this magnificent building.
She says, ‘Many of my paintings are based on Historic Architecture, a subject I constantly find challenging. I love the way light falls around the building, especially evening light; the cool subtle tones create a contrast against the warmth of street or interior building lights. I really enjoy observing the details and patterns from the buildings, simplifying and stylizing them in my paintings. My works are not representational but contain the essence of place, strengthened by an intuitive use of colour. Recently I have begun to draw into the acrylic paint with graphite, defining, yet adding depth and texture to my painting. Over the years I have developed a painterly approach to both my painting and glass work, gaining prestigious commissions. I feel that the relationship between my glass and painting continues to strengthen and develop, influencing the mark making in each discipline.’
During lockdown Kate began creating mixed-media drawings and glasswork inspired by the trees from her locale and has continued to develop this, showing a range of stitched, mixed media drawings and paintings in this exhibition.
Based in East Lothian, Kate trained at Edinburgh College of Art in stained glass, and has built-up a varied portfolio of commissioned pieces for private and public buildings across Scotland. She teaches classes and workshops in stained glass (the next one is due 12th June 11-2pm) and is taking booking via email and her website (see panel).
