A new year means a fresh start and a chance to set out some new goals. One of my aims this year is to do more posts about artists and to share more of the incredible talents we have in Aberdeen. This has really been part of my mission since starting the blog back in 2008 but I've found that a lot of artists and creatives slip through the cracks. I often think if I don't know who's out there then the network is failing and that can include us not shouting loud enough about our talented friends but also the council and bigger institutions not doing enough to elevate our grass roots artists.
So to kick of 2021 I've decided to start with an artist who I love, literally as she's my partner so I'd like to introduce you to painter Mary Louise Butterworth. I've always taken pride in my creative network and having a good grasp on artists in Aberdeen but I was suprised to meet Mary and to discover her work 4 years ago. I say this as until a random match on a dating app, I'd not heard of Mary or her incredible history. I was amazed that our paths hadn't crossed before since she'd worked on a lot of the cities public art projects along with being an established painter in her own right. I guess a part of this is my own reliance on social media as a way to discover new artists and to keep a finger on the pulse, hard sometimes when artists pages are full of selfies or they have little or no web presence.
Thankfully we discovered a shared kinship when it comes to supporting artists and celebrating the culture in the North East. I was totally blown away to discover Marys paintings, often dark and moody snapshots of Aberdeen along with graffiti covered lanes and run down high rises, urban decay but make it pop. We discovered a shared love for the liminal spaces in our city and exploring the often overlooked streets which Mary has often turned into small painting studies and a few larger works. I've often found myself sitting across the studio watching as Mary's hands move in a flurry over a new canvas, building up rough layers of colour before washing it back and starting to add in more fine detail. A painting can transform over the course of a few months while some seem to materialise in the space of a few hours. Sometimes ill prefer a piece that has been created off the cuff but its amazing when Mary puts down her brush and says a piece is finished. It's pretty special to watch and I'm always amazed to see how they start vs how they finish.
I've always enjoyed meeting artists and finding out about their work, finding out about their thinking behind their art but also some of the broader questions around life. Certainly when looking at Marys paintings I can see the drama and subtlety that runs through them, the appreciation for light and architecture but also for the vast natural landscape that surrounds us. I love getting to see how the sites we visit on our adventures can be transformed into these incredible art works but also Marys ability to capture a measure of the atmosphere of those locations. Indeed one of our first dates took us to the fish lanes in Torry, not everyones idea of romantic. Its quite a jump from the stunning blue skies of Gourdon to the old ceramic ornaments which were shown during her joint show with Jenny Hood but there's a connection to be made, even if its not so obvious between the rural landscape, cities and ephemeral objects which now adorn our flat. I got a kick out of seeing the small green dragon painting, an ornament that I can remember sitting on my mums mantle growing up which Marys family also had. I'm sure any millennials will be wondering what this is and perhaps I'm showing my age again but you can see one above.
I'm often amazed that it took a random match on a dating app for me to finally cross paths with Mary in a city as small as Aberdeen. We'd often been to the same exhibitions and shows, even having a lot of mutual friends but for some reason fate had decided to hold off on us meeting. It served as a reminder that I need to maybe shout louder in support of creative friends but to also break out of my existing network. 4 years on I'm thankful that our paths finally crossed and I'm glad that I get a sneak peek of Marys new paintings every time I visit Kekun Studio. As someone who's always lacked confidence in painting or for not having attended art school I get a real kick out of seeing Mary's work sell knowing that she's got a degree in psychology. For her, art making is 100% passion, something she's picked up from her dad Howard Butterworth. Certainly my own passion for art and its ability to connect us on a deeper level keeps me exploring and has kept me blogging for 12 years. Its all love.
I keep saying that Mary needs to have another solo exhibition and with 2021 looking like another write off maybe 2022 will be the one to mark on your calendar. At least it gives us plenty of time to get out for adventures and to see where the light takes us. In the meantime you can view Marys work via her instagram here and also via the Butterworth Gallery in person at Ballogie or online here. Here's to many more years together and to appreciating those around you that you love!
