The Doorway Gallery is delighted to host an exhibition by Neal Greig & Jock Nichol called ‘Seasons' on Thursday, June 4th between 6 -7.30pm on 24 South Frederick Street. The exhibition will run until June 22nd.

Neal Greig

“I am interested in going outside to paint, responding to the day as it changes and unfolds. I document the light, space and texture, spontaneously painting the changes, observing and marking the passing of time. Working outside brings an instinctive aspect to painting. At times areas are left understated while other areas are the focus of attention. This is reflective of how the mind, the eye and the hand respond in a cohesive flow in response to working from life, whilst the creative energy emanates from the heart.

I look for a sense of pictorial space, taking the furthest point from the eye, then drawing the composition towards me. Conversely, the viewer, looking at the surfaces and reading the painting is gradually drawn through the space. In a sense I am painting an organic, natural space rather than a picturesque view of the landscape.

The palette of colours is kept simple. Considerable mixing takes place, on the palette and on the painting. I push the paint around using various brushes and tools as the pigments get to know each other. I often think of the process of painting as a series of mistakes, with an underlying sense of knowing, continuing towards a resolution.” Neal Greig

Jock Nichol

Growing up in the shadow of the Cheviot Hills in the Scottish Borders, gave me an early fascination and curiosity about the landscape – especially marginal lands, where evidence of man-made interventions co-exist in an uneasy balance with nature. Since moving to the Irish Midlands in 1991, the open spaces of the bog and forests of the Slieve Bloom Mountains have become my inspiration. Working outside is central to my practice, being immersed in the constantly changing sights and sound of the environment encourages a more intuitive and receptive response to the subject, honing observational skills and infusing the work with a subliminal sense of the surroundings.

My paintings are a direct response to landscape as experienced as opposed to being viewed through a secondary image or screen.. They are reflections on experiences and observations on many long walks in the Irish countryside, trying to find the “essence” of a particular place which has become very familiar through repeated encounters, yet still never ceases to surprise.” Jock Nichol