Reviews / Detailed studies of inland voes
HOWARD Towll’s latest exhibition at Vaila Fine Art is somewhat different from some of his other exhibitions. Rather than prints or painting of birds this exhibition concentrates on the shoreline and the wildlife which inhabits the area around Brouster and the Bridge of Walls: seals, otters, eiders, heron and hares.
This fairly unprepossessing stretch of shoreline is easily passed and ignored. There are no high cliffs, no sandy beaches – just seaweed and rock when the tide is out and gentle rocky slopes leading into moorland.
But it holds a fascination for Towll and this exhibition is the result of three years of fieldwork, studying the area and its wildlife and a year painting.
Much of the painting was done outside and finished in the studio; never an easy thing to do, particularly in winter weather. The paint was freezing while Towll painted Dusk on the Voe.
The exhibition covers all seasons of the year – from snowy winter landscapes to calm summer evenings. Howard is well known for his detailed studies of birds and animals. This exhibition shows how well he knows his subjects. The paintings look casual and are in no way laboured but yet they capture the essential characteristics of the animals perfectly.
One of my favourite Shetland birds is the heron and four or five paintings capture the almost lazy and uncontrolled flight – huge wings and a harsh call or standing perfectly still and looking a bit disgusted at the frozen water.
This is the low seaweedy shoreline which I tend to ignore in favour of beaches and cliffs and as a result I miss out on seeing seals, otters and eiders feeding, sleeping and going about their lives undisturbed.
Towll has captured these moments, when sheep and otter coexist. The background of rock and seaweed is captured by form and colour rather than intimate detail – the atmosphere and time of year by the colour and light on the sea.
Some paintings have no immediately obvious wildlife – just sheltered water, seaweedy rocks and the dark slopes behind. Beyond the coastline mountain hares in winter coats crouch in heather.
Go and immerse yourself in these paintings and start to understand how these creatures live. And start, like me, to appreciate better the coastline of inland voes.
Howard Towll, Along the Voe, at Vaila Fine Art, 61 Commercial Street, Lerwick, until the end of August. Open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, 11am to 5pm.
Mike Finnie
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