NORTHERLY or Northwest is the latest exhibition to grace the cherished walls of Brantwood.

Running at the Coniston venue through until February 10, it showcases the work of Catriona Taylor.

Incorporating maps and words of the shipping forecast, Catriona’s paintings are inspired by the Scottish coastline and people’s close relationship with the sea: “Again and again in my painting I am drawn to the sea; its power, its constant motion, its changing colours and surfaces, its significance to human history with the countless journeys taken across it,” explains Catriona. “For me it is an integral aspect of Scottish landscape and holds so much of Scotland’s history both in livelihoods and emigration.

“In 2012, I did an MA in fine art which marked a change in my work; the beginning of a move away from installation to concentrate on painting. Sea painting is a tradition in Scottish art so it is a challenge to find a new way of expressing its nature and meaning. I started to look at google earth imagery to find a different perspective. I now spend much time travelling round the Scottish coast and seas from this vantage point. Everything looks different from above.”

Catriona worked as an art tutor for the Adult Education Programme at Wester Hailes Education Centre, from 2013-17 and at the moment is a part-time arts group facilitator for Castle Craig Hospital for Addictions. She also directed and devised Careless, a film about mental health and young people for schools, a project funded by a Kickstarter Campaign.

“In my painting, I try to capture the movement of the sea by pouring paint on the surface in an attempt to reproduce its liquid constitution and movement,” adds Catriona. “In contrast, I want to reflect the human tendency to make our relationships with the sea safer so I use bits of maps, lines and squares of maps and the words of the shipping forecast, which highlight the powerful force of the sea and our attempt to try and chart it and make it more navigable.”