Ruth Brownlee | 60° North

Ruth Brownlee 60˚ North

Ruth Brownlee 60° North September 2025

Ruth Brownlee

The Celestial Pull of The North

With great pleasure, we present 60° North, the first solo exhibition by Shetlandbased painter Ruth Brownlee at The Scottish Gallery.

Brownlee’s painting practice is shaped by the celestial rhythms of the far north. Her paintings reflect the extraordinary interplay of light, sea, and weather found in Shetland, one of the most atmospheric and remote parts of the British Isles. Through her brushwork and palette, she captures not only what is seen, but what is felt, the solitude, the energy, and the ever-shifting mood of a place where nature holds full command.

In preparation for this exhibition, I visited Ruth Brownlee in her Shetland home and studio during both the winter and summer solstices. Standing in her Sandwick studio, I looked out at the sea through the same window that has shaped so many of her paintings. I walked the shore below her home and joined her on one of her daily walks, where the shifting light and weather unfolded in real time. It felt like stepping into one of her paintings, into the very atmosphere she captures so instinctively. These threshold moments, when the island leans toward darkness or light, are woven into Brownlee’s creative rhythm. Shetland, in both its stark winter hush and luminous midsummer glow, is a place governed by time, tide, and sky. She is deeply attuned to these elemental forces, and it is this quiet, lived sensitivity that gives her work such lasting power and truth.

Over the last two decades, Brownlee’s painting practice has become synonymous with the Shetland landscape, translating its elemental forces into a visual language of clarity and emotion. Her paintings offer not a literal view, but an invitation to experience the atmosphere and intensity of life at 60° north, where the horizon stretches endlessly and the skies command attention.

60° North is both a reflection of Ruth Brownlee’s creative journey and a tribute to a place that continues to inspire, challenge, and elevate her work. We are delighted to share this body of painting that brings Shetland’s magnetic spirit into the heart of The Scottish Gallery.

Christina Jansen

° North

I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember. As a child, I loved ponies and horses, and if I wasn’t out riding, I was sketching them. When I went to Edinburgh College of Art, I naturally gravitated towards drawing and painting landscapes. I studied Tapestry and Drawing and Painting and created large-scale abstract woven pieces. That early training in textiles made me deeply aware of texture, and for years I incorporated materials like paper and sand into my paintings. I still have a great love for wool, but paint now suits my work and current practice.

I first visited Shetland in July 1998 to teach a mixed media workshop. I fell in love with the place, and with a Shetlander, and I moved to the island in October. From the moment I arrived, I was immediately drawn to the expansive skies, the sea, and the light. Something in me knew this was where I wanted to live and paint. The vast spaces and the northern light continue to inspire me every day.

Growing up on the family farm outside Edinburgh and riding horses gave me a strong connection to nature. I became very attuned to weather and shifting seasons.

Adapting to life in Shetland came naturally. I loved living by the sea and embraced the dramatic weather and the close-knit community. Of course, there were times I wished I could visit exhibitions or see my family more often, but the cost and logistics of

leaving the island made it difficult. These days, the internet makes all the difference. Platforms like Instagram help me stay in touch with what other creatives are doing, and they allow me to share my work more widely.

Shetland feels like the perfect home for my work. The sea, the dramatic weather, the everchanging light and textures of this rugged landscape all feed into my painting. In my early years here, I spent a lot of time sailing around the isles on the Swan, Shetland’s tall ship, and that experience gave me a strong understanding of the sea and coastline. It was an incredible, instructive, introduction.

The light and shifting weather dominate my work. Isolated beaches, rugged coastlines, and wild skies often appear in my paintings, but more than that, I aim to capture the mood of Shetland. It’s not about replicating what I see. Instead, I’m always trying to convey the essence, the wildness, and the atmosphere of this place.

Living in such a remote location inspires me deeply. I’m constantly observing the colours on the sea, the movement of the skies, and the light as it changes throughout the year. This observation drives my work. While I love painting, I also enjoy photography, and sharing both helps me connect with others. Instagram has become a brilliant way to show people Shetland’s beauty, and it means a lot to receive feedback on what I share. When the Shetland drama series started, it brought

international attention to the islands, especially from Australian and American audiences who were drawn to its moody landscapes and to my work too.

What I love most about Shetland is how quickly everything changes. The weather is constantly in flux, and every day feels different. I love watching the stormy seas in winter, and there’s an energy to the place that always feeds my creativity. People say we get four seasons in a single day here, and that shifting light is endlessly inspiring.

My day typically begins around 9.30 or 10am, after my daughter heads off to school. I paint most days and fit my studio time around family life. By late afternoon, especially in winter when the light fades earlier, I go for a walk along the banks near our house. I try to walk for at least an hour each day, whatever the weather, and those walks always inspire me.

When I first moved to Shetland, my studio practice was more abstract. I used textures like paper and glue to build surfaces. Over time, my focus shifted to pure paint and acrylic mediums on canvas or board. Even after living here for 26 years, I still feel driven to capture Shetland’s ever-changing elements.

The weather remains one of my greatest sources of inspiration. Its changing moods inform everything I do. There’s something special about Shetland that I try to interpret through paint, especially during the autumn and winter months when the light feels richest and the drama of the landscape is most intense.

Solitude is important for my practice. It allows me to focus and work for long hours in peace. But I also value the exposure and feedback I get through social media. Sharing my work helps me stay connected and prevents the isolation that can sometimes come with remote living.

I’m grateful for the support I receive locally, but I often find that people beyond Shetland connect even more strongly with my work. In the past, I was very active in the Shetland arts community. I helped to set up a local arts group, Veer North, and took part in exhibitions and gatherings.

Shetland has brought me many unexpected opportunities. In my early years here, being involved with Shetland’s tall ship, Swan, was a huge influence, giving me a deeper relationship with the sea. My late husband was the curator of Shetland Museum, and through him I met many incredible people and gained insights into the heritage of the islands. I’ve been lucky to meet fascinating visitors over the years, including my favourite painter, Ørnulf Opdahl. The Shetland TV series has also featured my studio and work in several episodes, which has helped share what I do with a much wider audience. It’s been a pleasure meeting members of the crew and seeing my work used in the set designs.

If there’s one message I hope my work conveys, it’s this: the sea and the natural world around us are essential to the soul, especially in a world that often feels unsettled.

Ruth Brownlee

Ruth Brownlee (b.1972)

Ruth graduated from Edinburgh College of Art in 1994 with a BA (Hons) in Drawing & Painting and Tapestry. In 1998, she moved to Shetland to concentrate on her painting. She is a Professional Member of the Scottish Society of Artists, and a Founder Member of Veer North Visual Arts Group, Shetland.

Education

1990 – 1994 BA (Hons) Drawing & Painting and Tapestry, Edinburgh College of Art

Summer 1993 Cyprus Art Summer School, Cyprus College of Art

Solo Exhibitions

2025 60º North, The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh

2022 New Work, Beaux Arts, Bath

2022 Inspired by Shetland, Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh

2021 New Work, Beaux Arts, Bath

2020 Shetland, Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh

2020 New Work, Beaux Arts, Bath

2020 New Work, Line Gallery, Linlithgow

2017 Shetland: Land and Sea, Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh

2016 Winter: Shetland, Roger Billcliffe Gallery, Glasgow

2015 Shetland, Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh

2013 New Work, The Line, Linlithgow

2013 New Work, Shetland Museum & Archives

2007 New Works, Shetland Economic Unit / Shetland Islands Council, Lerwick

2007 New Paintings, New Ashgate Gallery, Surrey

2006 New Work, The Line, Linlithgow

2006 New Work, Stenton Gallery, East Lothian

2005 New Paintings, Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London

2005 New Paintings, Godfrey & Watt, Harrogate

2005 New Work, Roger Billcliffe Gallery, Glasgow

2004 Recent Work, Stenton Gallery, East Lothian

2004 Sea Shetland, Rebecca Hossack / Charlotte Street Gallery, London

2003 Sense of Place, Gallery Heinzel, Aberdeen

2003 Northern Elements, Shetland Museum, Lerwick

2002 New Work, Stenton Gallery, East Lothian

2001 Northwards, Stenton Gallery, East Lothian

2001 Encounter, Roger Billcliffe Gallery, Glasgow

2001 At Sea..., Shetland Museum, Lerwick

2000 Solitude, The Bonhoga Gallery, Shetland

Public Collections

The Shetland Museum, Lerwick

The Fleming Collection, London

Published by The Scottish Gallery to coincide with the exhibition:

Ruth Brownlee 60° North 4 - 27 September 2025

Exhibition can be viewed online at: scottish-gallery.co.uk/ruthbrownlee

ISBN: 978-1-917803-05-2

Designed and Produced by The Scottish Gallery

Printed by Pure Print

Front cover: Moonlit, mixed media on canvas panel, 50 x 70 cm (cat.40)

All rights reserved. No part of this catalogue may be reproduced in any form by print, photocopy or by any other means, without the permission of the copyright holders.