Joan Eardley: Land & Sea – A Life in Catterline

by Patrick Elliott

This beautifully illustrated book on artist Joan Eardley is published to celebrate the 100th anniversary of her birth in 2021. Joan Eardley, one of Scotland’s most loved artists, visited the coastal fishing village of Catterline in 1951 for the first time. It sparked a fascination that would last the rest of her life.

She made this village in north-east Scotland her home and found inspiration in the dramatic light and rapidly changing weather. The gentle landscapes and wild rolling seascapes she painted there in wind, snow, rain and sunshine are among her best-loved works.

Focusing on Eardley’s relationship with Catterline, this book includes previously unpublished archival material as well as specially conducted interviews with many of those in the village who knew her best, shedding new light on Eardley’s life and artistic practice. A vivid portrait is painted both of Eardley and of the village, showing the vital part Catterline played in her development as an artist.

This evocative story is beautifully illustrated with many of her most remarkable drawings and paintings.

Genres: Art

168 pages, Paperback

First published March 25, 2022

About the author

Patrick Elliott is Chief Curator at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh. He has written extensively on modern and contemporary art.

Reviews

[Paula Maguire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book which was kindly lent to me by one of my classmates in art class. So inspirational - I absolutely love her paintings and her story - Settling in a tiny fishing village, beginning to paint the countryside, then the beaches and finally tackling the sea. This book gives a good account of her story using extracts from letters and lots of beautiful paintings