The Documentary Podcast Artist Joan Eardley
May 5, 2026
Kerry Gledhill, curator at the National Galleries of Scotland, guides a tour of Joan Eardley’s fierce, tactile paintings. She explains pairing Eardley with Monet and other collection works. They discuss Eardley’s outdoor practice in Catterline, her use of grit, collage and graffiti-like marks, and bold curatorial choices that reveal new visual synergies.
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Eardley's Thick, Material Seascapes
- Joan Eardley painted large, visceral seascapes and portraits from the 1940s to 1963 that are clearly representational but feel almost abstract due to heavy layering and embedded materials.
- She embedded sand, plants and grit in oil and pastel, creating sculptural canvases that convey stormy coastal conditions and physical presence.
Use Bold Wall Colour With Proper Lighting
- Be bolder with exhibition wall colour when lighting is controlled; terracotta walls helped the terraced landscapes read better in the gallery.
- Kerry chose a rich terracotta because small splashes of that hue recur across the paintings and lighting finalises the effect.
Wearing A Mark In The Ground
- Kerry recounts Eardley's move to the fishing village of Catterline where she painted for weeks in one spot until a mark was worn in the ground.
- Eardley often stayed in one place through changing weather, producing repeated variations and deep familiarity with the site.