A treasure trove of artwork by the late Barbara Robertson will go on public display this month before the collection is sold off for her two favourite charities.
The distinctive pieces, many of which will be shown for the first time and which are signed, were found in the artist’s Angus home after she died in August.
Friend and fellow artist Sheila MacFarlane from St Cyrus is now busy framing a number of the pieces, which will be exhibited at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design in Dundee, Barbara’s alma mater.
Following Barbara’s death in August at the age of 72, Sheila has been busy sorting through her work, which often featured cats, hens, sheep and other animals, as well as beautifully observed landscapes of the Angus countryside..
She said: “She left a huge amount of work behind.
“There are about 120 pieces of framed work and thousands of artworks which were in drawers, some signed, some not.”
Born in Broughty Ferry, Barbara gained her diplomas in printmaking and illustration and won a major travelling scholarship.
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Her work has been exhibited in France and Germany and nearer to home in the Printmakers Workshop in Edinburgh and the Compass Gallery in Glasgow.
She had also shown her prints in the Royal Scottish Academy since 1973.
Sheila continued: “Barbara had a large following and several galleries frequently exhibited her work.
“The exhibition will open in Dundee and will hopefully move to Perth in January and possibly the Compass Gallery in Glasgow.
“I don’t think Barbara got credit for the wonderful artist she was. She chose to earn her living from her art, which is a really tough thing to do.
“She had a wicked sense of humour and this comes through in a lot of her work.
“I want to raise her profile, not just for Barbara, but for everyone who has bought a piece of her work.”
The contents of Barbara’s studio and her artwork will be divided between her two favourite charities – Lupus UK and Cats Protection.
The proceeds from the sale of her Douglastown home will be used to fund a scholarship in print and design for a young artist at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design.
The exhibition at the college’s Matthew building will run from December 8-15 from 10am to 5pm.
