Joan Eardley: A Sense of Place

This is the exhibition catalogue for the current SNGMA show on in Edinburgh till May 21st, `17.The strong point of this volume is in the numbers of drawings and sketch material it presents which haven't been reproduced before; I don't think Eardley would have been happy about these working references being made public, but it affords scholars and artists some insight into how she developed her work and their relationship to her larger, finished paintings.There are 103 plates in the book; these consist mainly of colour reproductions of artworks – inevitably duplicating some key paintings that have appeared in other books – together with a number of black and white photographs from the artist's archive.The standard of reproduction is quite good – darker overall than those that appeared in the earlier SNG book  Joan Eardley  (which makes a good companion to this) but – I think – closer to the tone of the actual work. There are an additional 32 illustrations (mostly photographs but with a few comparative pieces in colour) in support of the text.The texts provide a helpful commentary on her life and the work included in the show/catalogue and there is a useful map showing the locations of her city studios and the long-gone area she worked in, together with a similar map of Catterline.It's good that Eardley is receiving the broader exposure her work deserves; this is a pretty decent addition to the existing volumes about her and worth acquiring at the current price (under £12).

I used my copy of this book to learn more about the artist and how she worked.

I have admired Joan Eardley's work for a long time and being unable to get to the big exhibition of her work a couple of years ago, I decided to get at least one book about her. This book had a cover that attracted me. I was astonished when it arrived that it was a bigger and thicker book than I'd expected. It is beautifully written. The images are wonderful. It is possibly my most favourite art book (and I'm an art historian and artist so have read a lot of art books). This edition is incredibly good value for money.

I originally come from Catterline , and went to the local school there between 1968 and 1975, and can remember many of the names and places mentioned. The book covers all of her work and details her life and is well worth buying.

A beautiful book which was bought for a present, and very much appreciated.

A wonderful book with good quality prints . The information was excellent too

This wonderful book is excellent in every way. So inspiring!

I'm someone who looks at pictures so I haven't read the text. I studied fine art in Scotland and this book shows how she has really captured the feel as well as the look of the coastal areas. Well worth a look.