“I like places that feel good and that have an honest working heritage. They have a beauty about them.” - George Birrell
Charismatic and enigmatic, yet totally down to earth, is the Scottish painter George Birrell. The man from the west has found both his inspiration and home in the east. Ever the teacher, though delighted to be free of the constraints of school and college budgets and associated demands, he laughs, “I enjoyed teaching but I now enjoy not having to teach.”
Glasgow born Birrell showed talent at an early age, gold medal-winning pupil, he secured a place at the prestigious Glasgow School of Art and though impressed by the building, the young art student was less impressed by his experience as a student, despite being tutored by some leading talents. He says, “ Being a good artist does not necessarily make you a good teacher. In fact very often there’s an ego problem.”
The east neuk of Fife has long been his inspiration, though his scenes are amalgamations of features and pastiches of Scottish fishing villages rather than actual representations of real places. Never a fan of painting from photographs, Birrell is strong in his belief, “There’s little fun in copying something that already exists.”
Crow-stepped gables, quaint turrets and clever contrasts of colour are the key features of his paintings. Instantly recognisable, the art takes shape in his Gullane studio. Never forgetting how privileged he feels to do the thing he loves for his living, George Birrell has not lost the passion for his art. “ Once I start, I locked in! I’m completely absorbed”.
Birrell’s fantasy fishing villages, though imagined, nevertheless hint of the hard graft of the fishing trade as we see the tools and gear of fishing in the foreground. These places appear welcoming and inviting. Places we seemingly know; small, safe and secure. Birrell’s villages are ones we would safely step into. “ Harbours and their bric-a-brac attract me, as do mills and castles. Texture, colour and pattern are what I
use to evoke feel-good locations.”
Fresh from a successful solo exhibition at the Annan Gallery, Glasgow, the former teacher and lecturer’s advice to youngsters starting out is practical and succinct, “Be passionate about something you’re half good at. It’s easy to get side-tracked.”
Time in his company is time well spent and a tour around his workspace is an education. Students of Birrell were indeed privileged to have a master of painting and lover of art help shape their learning.