Frank McLean Docherty R.S.W.

'A Very Bad Seagull', Contemporary Oil and acrylic on Canvas.

2016

Large surrealist contemporary oil on canvas by Scottish artist Frank McLean Docherty R.S.W. This piece whilst wonderfully colourful, playful and erotic is typical of the witty sense of humour this artist displays in all his work. The title 'Hello Hen !' ( Hen being the scottish slang for 'girl' ) is used playfully as a double-entendre. In the image we see the artist has before him a beautiful naked woman and yet chooses to paint the real hen. Also we notice that the plant's flower heads under the woman are wilting and the artist pictured (a self portrait of Docherty), an older man, suggest that the artist's desires are on the wane. Docherty likes to tease us visually and asks questions and presents conundrums to the viewer. Frank McLean Docherty was born in Glasgow , Scotland in 1942. He became a student at Glasgow School of Art in 1960 and graduated from the Department of Printed Textiles in 1964. He taught in a secondary school in the East End of Glasgow for two years, thereafter departing to work in Dublin in the Republic of Ireland as a textile designer (Marks & Spencer, Heals and Liberty of London). He was also an illustrator for a range of newspapers and an Art Director of magazines. In 1973, he was appointed Principal Teacher of Art in a Scottish High School and in 1978 was honoured by the Queen when he was appointed Member of the Royal Society of Painters in Watercolours (R.S.W.) He left education in 1994. Since that time he has developed a vision which is quite unique in Scottish Art. Bank Managers, toucans, lighthouses, penguins, bowler hats, Frank Docherty...

An expressionist portrait of a seated figure, acrylic on paper by French artist Alain Caucat. Signed bottom right. Also signed and dated to the back of the framing board. Presented u...

Oil paint, pastel and charcoal on paper Signed and dated by the artist lower left

Vibrant, yet also subdued, this work’s use of color and line imbue ordinary subject matter with an uplifting sense of levity and beauty. Bolstered by a strong use of abstract elements and impressionist techniques, this oil on canvas painting is an excellent example of Chambers’ unique stylistic blend. Chambers transforms the pastoral into the extraordinary. Long before she puts paint to a canvas, her artistic process begins with the simple act of paying attention. From the outside looking in, she observes often overlooked aspects of life to discover an otherwise unseen beauty in the ordinary. Her paintings are vibrant compositions of color. She works in two distinct palettes, one bright the other subdued, each containing an incredible diversity of hue and value. Her insistence on variety furthers the idea that everything contains its own unique beauty, if only you stop to notice. Chambers skillfully uses lines and shapes to both break up the vibrancy of the canvas and to imbue her compositions with a narrative power. The line work introduces a tension to the color as the objects of her focus appear to pop and the details of each scene defiantly catch the viewer’s impatient eye. It is in this way that her paintings elevate above mere depiction to offer a lesson in the observation of art. Each painting has strong elements of abstract and impressionist techniques, as well as drawn forms that are cartoon like in character. The blend of the two adds dimension to the flat surface and provides visual anchors in the midst of the cacophony of color. Based in Belleville, Texas, Chambers is a “Texas Big 10 for Art” prize winner at KCAM, a recipient of the “Silver Award” from Art Forward, and the “Alexander Rutsch Painting Award” from the Pelham Art Center. Chambers’ art has been featured in numerous shows in galleries across the United States, including Houston, Lexington, Palm Beach, and New York. Select exhibitions include The Grace Museum in Abilene, the Dairy Arts Center in Boulder, Colorado, the McKinney Avenue Contemporary in Dallas, Texas, the Fort Worth Community Arts Center in Fort Worth, Texas, the Lawndale Art Center in Houston, Texas and the Pelham Art Center in New York. Lindy Chambers "Beware of Dog...