North Berwick artists to feature in major London exhibition

Jayne Stokes and Astrid Trügg, who live and work in North Berwick, are among more than 500 artists chosen to display their work at this year’s ING Discerning Eye Exhibition at the Mall Galleries in London.

Featuring more than 730 artworks, whittled down from a huge 6,500 entries, the annual show is one of the largest small-scale art exhibitions in the country, and seeks to bring together a mix of styles and subjects, celebrating the diversity and vibrancy of contemporary British art.

Jayne said: “I have entered the Discerning Eye on and off for around 15 years. I don’t always get work selected, as it’s a very competitive selection process.

“However, over the years, I have had work chosen and also was awarded the regional Scotland prize in 2022.

“I am always incredibly honoured when selected and it is a huge boost to my work as an artist.”

Jayne is a mixed-media landscape artist whose aim is “to explore and document our relationship with the environment”.

She creates pieces using recycled and repurposed materials, such as found objects like tins, matchboxes and ceramic fragments, reflecting her commitment to sustainability and encouraging people to appreciate the world around them.

She added: “The starting point for most of my pieces is a journey.

“This could be a short walk, a car journey or a trip further afield. My preferred subject is the Scottish landscape; I have lived in Scotland for over 20 years and I never tire of exploring those places around me.

“The environment and sustainability are important issues to me personally and increasingly something that none of us can ignore.”

Jayne’s artwork focusses on landscapes and, in her 20 years living in Scotland, she said she “never tires of exploring those places around me”.

Astrid, originally from Utrecht in the Netherlands, has lived in North Berwick for the past nine years with her husband, 18-year-old son, 16-year-old daughter and two dogs.

She began a postgraduate painting course at Leith School of Art in 2003 and her art has been inspired by Scotland ever since.

Initially inspired by the beautiful architecture, harbours and textures, Astrid has shifted to focussing on still life, exploring everyday objects and their histories, many of which hold personal significance, reflecting childhood memories, family life, travels or their own unique pasts.

She said: “I have been passionate about painting and drawing for as long as I can remember.

“I feel honoured that my work has been selected from so many entries for this prestigious show.

“I am going to visit the opening night with my good friend and fellow North Berwick artist Jayne.

“I am really looking forward to visiting London together to see the exhibition. We’ll make an art trip of it and try and see other exhibitions too.”

Her “distinctive” technique aims to create vibrant colours and richly textured surfaces, created using multi-media techniques, including using antique newspapers for collages and scratching into paint.

Astrid’s painting ‘Lemons’ will be exhibited alongside Jayne’s work, as well as more than 730 works by other talented artists.

The exhibition will take place at the Mall Galleries between next Friday (November 14) and November 23.

Those in East Lothian can enjoy a virtual edition of the exhibition which will run until the end of the year.