Joan Eardley

In 1951, Joan Eardley visited the coastal fishing village of Catterline in north-east Scotland for the first time. Her visit sparked a fascination that would last the rest of her life. She made the village her home and found inspiration in the dramatic light and rapidly changing weather. The gentle landscapes and wild rolling seascapes she painted of Catterline in wind, snow, rain and sun are among her best-loved works.

Unpublished archival material and interviews with many of those who knew her shed new light on Eardley's life in Catterline. A vivid portrait is painted both of Eardley and of the village, showing the vital part Catterline played in her development as an artist.

The story of her experiences on the wild Scottish coast is evocatively told and beautifully illustrated with some of her most remarkable drawings and paintings.

74 colour, 45 b/w illustrations

About the Author

] Patrick Elliott is Chief Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the National Galleries of Scotland and author of the highly successful True to Life and Joan Eardley: A Sense of Place.