Landscape artist advised to expand her horizons
Robin Trimingham: Works in Oil Bermuda Society of Arts
Edinburgh Gallery, City Hall.
For obvious reasons I was in two minds as to whether I should review the show by Robin Trimingham at all.
It seems to me that she has real potential and potential I like to encourage. To have a solo show when potential is what is to be seen takes a certain amount of courage and thus earns a certain amount of respect.Much of this show is what I would describe as tentative and some of it is little more than limp. More of it leans towards the tourist trap in style. However the quality of the painting is in general of quite high standard. For the most part the works are of Bermuda landscapes and seascapes; a few are similar works done in Canada. Her best work is of water and sky, her weakest of Bermudian architecture where she never comes to grips with its robust thickness and solidity. Where she deals with water and sky she has considerable ability to match both to the weather portrayed, usually gentle weather but occasionally and most successfully where the weather is rougher.
'North Shore Sunset' is perhaps the best example of the sea and sky combination and avoids the trap of garishness so often fallen into by sunset painters. This work is soft and anything but aggressive. With Ms Trimingham's comfortable command of her mediun she would do well to try a more aggressive approach. This is hinted at in 'Cresting Waves' which has more strength and well controlled colour.
'Storm Clouds at Sunrise' is another cloud and sea work where the light is particularly well rendered and the sea and clouds work perfectly together. Perhaps it is the smallness of her work (the largest is 12x16) that makes them feel so tentative.'Ariel's Thunder' is the strongest of the works and, despite its smallness, has real impact.
My advice to Ms Trimingham is to work bigger and stronger, bigger brushes, bigger ideas, more paint, more energy. If she can expand out of her small and tentative phase, there is a lot of potential there for the future.
ANDREW TRIMINGHAM
