Over the last 16 years the SCAPES series by David Joy has evolved from early heavily textured landscapes to the graded texture and tone of the East Coast Seascapes...

Seascapes at The Byre Theater

"A new viewpoint on east coast seascapes is being offered by the latest exhibition of paintings by well-known St Andrews artist and writer, David Joy. The exhibition has been brought forward a week to tie in with the opening and run of 'Great Expectations' at the town's Byre Theatre today and open-house fundraiser tomorrow.

David told the Citizen: 'I am delighted to be showing a small selection of the scapes series on the theatre walls, having had a lifelong affair with the Byre……acting in the old theatre and in the first production of the new old (1970) version!

St Andrews Citizen (Feb 08)

Seascapes at The Vine Leaf Restaurant

"It seems to have become a tradition that my new work gets its first exposure when, every two or three months, we swap around the paintings between the Vine Leaf Restaurant, St Andrews and my studio. I say 'we' as Ian and Morag, who run the Vine Leaf, have become good friends and a constant source of encouragement. There is no commission on the price of the paintings sold there - true friends indeed! I am gratified to see that many of their customers, in a relaxed atmosphere, have taken to my work and have visited the studio to view and discuss the excellence of...Morag's cooking!"

Scapes Exhibition Review

"His paintings are concerned mainly with light. The myriad colours in each painting capture splendidly the quality of light in the sky. The sun's rays filter through wispy clouds, tingeing them with many hues. Blue skies peek through occasionally. Sometimes the clouds converge and the light becomes more foreboding but nonetheless all pervading."

They are also concerned with the representation of depth on a flat surface using colour, tone and texture. Each painting is deliberately without a focal point the more to emphasise the subtle colour, tone and textural changes.

There is a complete break from the traditional foreground, middleground, background divisions usual in landscape painting. This fundamental difference in his work should not be allowed to spoil the enjoyment of these most luminous evocations of the subtle effects of light, mist and distance. Given a cursory glance, the paintings will appear bland and repetitive. They require ro be looked at closely before this impression will vanish.

The beauty in these paintings, the skies which they portray, is usually unappreciated because we seldom look past the foreground details of our lives.

Take this opportunity to see one of nature's gifts with fresh eyes."

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