MacLean brothers sell art for charity

A TRIO of Scottish world record-breaking brothers hopes to raise thousands of pounds for clean water projects in developing communities through an art exhibition in Edinburgh.

Works by artist Bridget Ievers Cox were left to the MacLean brothers – the first three brothers to row across an ocean together – when she died last year.

The brothers raised more than £200,000 for charity through their record-breaking efforts and now want to add to that total by auctioning her entire archive for charity during a posthumous exhibition.

The show will run at Summerhall – the arts venue in the former Royal (Dick) Vet College – in Edinburgh until 5 March.

Cox was a close friend of the trio’s father, whisk expert Charles MacLean.

“Her talent was prodigious, as I think this exhibition demonstrates, ranging from portraiture and still life, to landscape and abstract painting,” said MacLean.

“Bridget shows herself to be a true colourist, balancing bright hues with soft, quiet colour.

“Complex arrangements of greys and creamy whites instinctively coordinate cool with warm.

“It is this subtle balance of vibrant and quiet colour that gives Bridget’s still lives a sense of calm contemplation and her portraits a deep empathy.”

He added “We were brought up together and she was like a sister to me.

“She was a quintessential artist: self-centred, self-doubting but self-sufficient.

“Bridget had a rich, varied, and eventful life, living through the depths of depression to the peaks of creativity.

“She enriched the lives of those who knew her in so many ways – although she was probably unaware of it.”

The MacLean brothers fly to Madagascar next week to see the impact of their fundraising, which has helped to build multiple boreholes that now provide clean water to communities.

Read more news and reviews on Scottish Field’s culture pages.

Plus, don’t miss the February issue of Scottish Field magazine.

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