Country Drive at Night

Damp Wood Campfire

Mhairi Treharne

Oil on panel stitched with wire

2021

Sizzling stars over dark dirt roads. The stark shadows and distorted colours caused by headlights play tricks with the eyes. The roads seems to lead to somewhere else entirely. Oil on custom cut panel, peridot stones, sterling silver and iron wire.

Loud deep orange flames dancing on improvised fuel, as darkness closes in. Oil on custom cut panel, stitched with iron wire.

Cold water finds passage in darkened channels. Oil on custom cut panel, stitched with iron wire.

Waterfall

Wisp

The wisp is an atmospheric ghost of folklore, appearing to misguide travelers at dusk. Oil on custom cut panel, stitched with iron wire.

Treharne was born in Toronto to a Scottish Mother and Welsh Father in 1989. From age one, Treharne was raised in Minden Ontario, surrounded by the iconic landscapes of the Haliburton Highlands.

Treharne is connected to the unique rural spaces of her Canadian childhood, and inspired by the landscapes of her heritage in Scotland and Wales.

Relocating to the United Kingdom in 2013 sparked a new body of work. Panels crafted from scratch, using new materials and skills emerged. In 2018 Treharne completed a year of mentorship at the Newlyn School of Art Cornwall which has led to group and solo shows throughout the United Kingdom.

Treharne depicts scenes existing in-between states; between darkness and light, danger and serene beauty, pause and eternity. Sacred places with a closeness to another dimension.

Wooden tablets are infused with time and craft prior to painting the subject. Surfaces are milled, decoratively burned, embroidered with wire, and attentively primed. Choices are made to create paintings that are stable and ready for the centuries ahead. The tablets hang on the wall as-is, without frames.

Website: www.mhairi-treharne.com
Instagram: @mhairi_treharne