Saturday September 1 to Tuesday September 25 2018

The story of the birth and installation of The Kelpies at the Helix has been told and re-told throughout the world, and their creator, Andy Scott, has become well known. What may be less well known is the years of skill development, technique refinement and artistic understanding which underlie each and every proposal for artwork in the public arena. Each proposal for each location has, by its very nature, to be unique in order to reflect buth specific circumstances and requirements. That there are major pieces by Andy throughout the world is testament both to his expertise and the degree to which his work captures the heart.

The Line is privileged to bring both bronze castings and sketchbook detail to Linlithgow. Building on from the welcome received by the Kelpie Maquettes when shown at the Cross in 2015, and his booked out talk at Linlithgow Book Festival, we are confident that this exhibition will have a broad appeal.

It gives us great pleasure to invite you to come along and enjoy with us The One That Got Away ......

Sunday August 12th

Come along and find your inner, artistic Gongoozler!

An opportunity to be shown around the Gongoozler at The Line exhibition by Lesley Banks, and then to join Lesley in a limited number drawing class at the Canal Basin. Lesley will show some of the viewpoints she has used in her work for the exhibition and share some of her working methods with those taking part. 

Participants can bring along their own drawing materials to work with, and some will be made available on the day. Accommodation will be available in the Mel Gray Centre in the event of bad weather, and the ticket will include tea and a scone from the lovely Canal tearoom.

Meet at The Line at 12 noon to view the exhibition, and walk to the Canal Basin for 12.45. Those who prefer can meet Lesley at the basin then. The class will conclude around 3.00pm in time for tea. It is suggested that a selection of the resultant drawings be exhibited in the tea room on the Canal Fun Day on Sunday August 19th, with the public encouraged to vote for their favourite piece. The winner will be awarded a voucher for a free Town Trip on Victoria - prize kindly donated by LUCS.

Places on this class will be limited to 12, and there will be a charge of £20 per person to cover costs. Please contact all@thelineonline.co.uk to register

Saturday July 14 to Tuesday July 31 2018

Artists from the damp hollow - 

Our Linlithgow

One of the greatest pleasures in having The Line Gallery in Linlithgow has been the discovery of the many, many amazing artists who have lived, or worked, or both in the Royal Burgh. Many have shown their work at The Line over the years, others may have shown once then moved on - others we have yet to showcase. For this exhibition, which takes its title  from the Old British lynn llaith cau meaning "lake in the damp hollow", eight artists have chosen to create work which expresses a personal connection to the town - Morag Stevenson's shop front above speaks for itself, whilst Elaine Woo MacGregor, Iona Sorbie, Douglas Cook, Shona Young, Anna Divers, Lesley Anne Derks and Peter J Scott will each add work in their varied media. Victoria Ross will also be exhibiting some of her hand made dolls.

 We are looking forward to this show - and hope you will also!

Woods by the damp hollow by Elaine Woo MacGregor

Saturday August 4 to Tuesday August 28 2018

To coincide with the 200th anniversary of the start of the Union Canal, we are delighted to bring new work by Lesley Banks to Linlithgow.

"As artist in residence at Scottish Canals I walked the entire 137 mile canal network. With such a broad spectrum of landscape to cover I spent a lot of time walking and thinking, striving to capture the individual character of each canal.

Canal towpaths provide a little bit of everything, at once rural and urban, they offer unfolding transitional scenery. Hidden in plain sight they are footnotes to the main routes. Accessible to everyone, an easy flat continuous walk, no map required. With its unhurried pace of life, forever set by the past, the canal offers an opportunity for 'slow looking'.

With this in mind I have chosen to slow down and  focus on a small section of the canal in and around Linlithgow. This attractive stretch of canal is a hive of activity, both water and towpath embraced by locals and visitors in a variety of ways. It is very much part of the community.

Through mixed media works on paper and oil on canvas I am paying attention to the changing seasons, the dramatic weather conditions and the present function of the canal for leisure.

The best journeys are worth repeating and on my returning visits to Linlithgow I am constantly  amazed at how the shifting light, from dawn until dusk, reflects and alters the water."

The exhibition will continue until August 31st.