Vanessa cardui

Today's the day ..................... for Painted Ladies  and Ladies who paint

Our first sighting of Painted Ladies in the garden today - looking as beautiful as ever and happily supping nectar from the buddleia flowers.

And then this evening, the launch of a new art exhibition at the Harbour Cottage Gallery in Kirkcudbright of paintings by Dumfries artist Chris J Fergusson (1876-1957), one of The Glasgow Girls.  They are displayed, alongside some works by her daughter Nan S Fergusson (1910-1984).

Chris studied at the Glasgow School of Art, graduating in 1904.  Her time there coincided with the height of the influence of the Arts and Crafts Movement. An active participant in The Suffragist Movement, Chris later taught at GSA as well as Kirkcudbright Academy and Glasgow High School for Girls.  With artists E.A.Hornel , E.A.Taylor and R.D.Cairns, she was co-founder of the Dumfries and Galloway Fine Art Society in 1922.

Her eldest daughter, Nan, studied at Edinburgh College of Art and the works included in this exhibition are mainly painted landscapes of locations, including Galloway and Arran. Mentored by William Gillies, John Maxwell and Penelope Beaton, Nan was an art teacher at George Watson’s Ladies College in Edinburgh in the 1960 and 70s.

The painting by Chris J Fergusson in extras is entitled 'Easter Sunshine, farmstead at Barcloy Mill, near Rockcliffe' ....................