Gracefield Arts Centre in Dumfries is celebrating Eardley’s remarkable work in an exhibition of her paintings, pastels and sketch drawings from our permanent collection together with black and white photographs by the artist’s friend and photographer, Audrey Walker.

Joan met Audrey Walker, a talented violinist and photographer, in 1952 through a mutual friend and their shared love of music created an immediate bond. Audrey often documented Joan at work at the Walker’s holiday cottage in the Ettrick Valley in the Scottish Borders, at Joan’s Glasgow studio, and in the wild landscape of the North East. Her striking black and white photographs not only add up to a remarkable archive of her artist friend’s life, but also show Audrey’s considerable talent for seeing a good picture.

(Lady) Audrey Walker and her husband retired to his hometown of Dumfries and she lived there until her death in 1996. She bequeathed a number of Eardley artworks to the Gracefield Collection, with Audrey’s photographic archive given by her son John in December 2004. Gracefield is very grateful to the Walkers for additional loans to the exhibition from the family’s collection. The exhibition also include two short seven minute films featuring the artist at work in her Glasgow studio and interviews with her biographer and Catterline neighbours.