Artwork by one of the most distinctive British artists of the 20th Century will soon be on display at a venue in Berwick.

Starting on June 6 and running until October 11, The Granary Gallery presents Joan Eardley: The Sea at Catterline.

Joan Eardley (1921–1963) is widely known for her tender, yet unsentimental, portraits of street children in Glasgow.

Alongside this celebrated body of work, she produced a series of landscapes and seascapes inspired by the small fishing village of Catterline, south of Aberdeen, where she spent the latter part of her life.

Joan Eardley, Summer Sea, Oil on board. Image courtesy of the Royal Scottish Academy.

placeholder image — Joan Eardley, Summer Sea, Oil on board. Image courtesy of the Royal Scottish Academy.

Perched on the edge of a cliff above the village’s crescent-shaped bay, Eardley found endless inspiration in the surrounding landscape – from the buildings and farmland to the rugged shoreline.

Yet it was the sea itself that became her most compelling subject. Initially finding the sea difficult to paint, Eardley’s approach evolved with the influence of abstract expressionism.

The exhibition has been curated by The Maltings (Berwick) Trust in partnership with The Fleming Collection and forms part of the RSA Celebrating Together Project across the UK, marking 200 years of the Royal Scottish Academy.

James Lowther, head of visual arts at The Maltings, said: “These paintings are among the most powerful responses to landscape in 20th Century British art. Standing on the cliff edge above the North Sea, she developed a way of painting that captured not just the appearance of the waves, but their extraordinary force and emotional intensity.

“This exhibition brings together a remarkable group of works from the final years of her life when she was working with real confidence and freedom.”

General admission to the exhibition is £7.50.