Dame Elizabeth Blackadder DBE RA RSA RSW, Scottish 1931–2021 - Clivia, Orchids and Arun Lily, 1981; watercolour on paper, signed and dated lower left 'Elizabeth Blackadder 1981', 58.1 x 79.5 cm (ARR) Provenance: with Mercury Gallery, London...

Dame Elizabeth Blackadder DBE RA RSA RSW, Scottish 1931–2021 - Clivia, Orchids and Arun Lily, 1981; watercolour on paper, signed and dated lower left 'Elizabeth Blackadder 1981', 58.1 x 79.5 cm (ARR) Provenance: with Mercury Gallery, London (according to the inscription on the reverse of the frame); with Browse & Darby, London (label affixed to the reverse of the frame); with Wiseman Originals, London (label on the reverse); private collection Note: This serene watercolour epitomises Blackadder’s renowned late style, with its focus on careful composition, space and delicate colour. The artist and her husband John Houston were highly influenced by their travels in Japan in the 1980s, in particular for Blackadder, in the Zen principles of empty space, seen her in the way the still life objects are carefully placed across the white of the blank paper. Blackadder allowed this empty space to become an active element in her work, creating a distinct style and feeling. Blackadder was the first woman to be elected as an academician to the Royal Academy in London and the Royal Scottish Academy. Her work has been exhibited internationally and is now held in all major public UK collections, including the Tate, National Galleries of Scotland and the Government Art Collection.
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