The Possibilities of Colour & Gesture - new work by Kirsty Black

Escapades of Lolly Scramble Lulu & Friends 

Every painting that I embark on is an adventure into the unexpected – a tumble into colour, a snigger behind the paintbrush. Escapades of Lolly Scramble Lulu & Friends is a celebration of playful mischief, a tribute to the joyful quirkiness of life, and a visual romp through humorous worlds where animals have better social lives than we do.

I’m endlessly fascinated by the expressive possibilities of colour and gesture – energetic brushstrokes and bold palettes that feel like a party, shapes that intermingle, lines that lead you on a merry dance, and soft curves that soothe and swirl like a familiar hug or a sneaky kip in the sun.

The stories I paint are mini-adventures – those fleeting moments that make life sparkle. Think puddle stomps, impromptu pirouettes when nobody’s watching, or the gleeful chaos of a belly-slide down a muddy bank. I love reimagining these escapades through the antics of animals who, I’m quite convinced, possess both a sense of humour and a flair for drama. Whether it’s a hamster spinning wildly on a roulette wheel or a cheeky sausage dog mastering the art of the wheelie, there’s something delightfully human in their behaviour –or perhaps something wonderfully animal in ours.

At its heart, my work is about optimism – an invitation to find joy in the everyday, to laugh at the chaos, and to see beauty in the blunder. After all, if animals can get away with this much mischief and still make us smile, surely, we can too.

Kirsty Black 2025

Exhibition Wednesday 29th May - Saturday 25th May
Coffee & pastries 10.30 - 11am Saturday 31st May