Since 1998 Jules George has worked full-time as a professional artist. Based at his family home in Suffolk, he has travelled the world, not least in his role as a war artist supported by the Ministry of Defence, notably in Afghanistan in 2010.
The title of Jules’ current exhibition – Pipes and Drums – at the Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh, sums up the work on show: an exploration of the massed bands of the pipes and drums of the Edinburgh Royal Military Tattoo. It arises from the fact that for the year 2015 Jules was Artist in Residence for the Edinburgh Royal Military Tattoo. It was an experience that had a profound effect on him.
Jules’ images of pipers and drummers are highly evocative, as well as skilfully portrayed. When we spoke it transpired that this very unassuming,  gentle man had also been involved with other branches of the Military including the Royal Navy. After his stint as a war artist in Afghanistan, he was so profoundly affected by this ‘posting’ he told me how he had found an inherent spirituality in the stirring images of Scottish soldiers. Complete with pipes and drums and the famous bearskin hats, these linked with the past and gave him an enduring image of a Scottish identity. In his own words he said, ‘I swapped guns for pipes and drums’.
Working in a variety of media, this set of paintings captures vivid images which are examples of his work which has been commissioned and collected by such organisations as:Â Bonhams, the Royal Navy Submarine Museum, 101 Regiment Engineers Regiment, Laing O’Rourke, the National Army Museum, the National Museum of the Royal Navy and York Museum. Jules very kindly accompanied me round his works and we chose to wet the visitors’ appetite ‘Feathered Bonnets’ (oil on linen) and similarly ‘Times of Glory’ in the same medium.
An amazing story, wonderful art.
The Exhibition runs until Monday 19th September at the Open Eye Gallery, 34 Abercromby Place, Edinburgh EH36QE. telephone (0)131 557 1020
Opening times, Monday to Friday 10am to 6 pm and Saturday 10 am to 4 pm.
Published by
Christine Richard OBE FRSA
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Christine has over 25 years' experience in public life in Scotland in the fields of politics, education, public relations and charity work. For 12 years she served on the City of Edinburgh District Council and was her Group's leader for 4 years. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. In 1992 she was made an OBE. Christine is a member of the Board of The Friends of the Royal Scottish Academy. She has just completed six years on the Board of The Edinburgh International Festival.
Christine's business experience has covered the fields of theatre, economic development, science, coal mining, education and training. She has held a number of non-executive directorships in these disciplines. She is a trained and experienced personal relationships counsellor and a business and personal mentor. In 2005 Christine established Christine Richard Associates who undertake Event Management and Public Relations as well as company and individual profiling. She coordinated the 'Yes to Edinburgh' campaign on congestion charging in Edinburgh. ten years ago Christine co-founded West Lothian Women in Business, which is a network for women who are self-employed and also for women managers. Christine has now stepped down from the Chair of this thriving organisation.
For 5 years Christine was a magistrate in the District Court. She was also a member of the Secretary of State's Advisory Committee on the appointment of Justices of the Peace. She has been an adviser to Government in various areas of policy, including health, local government and education.
Christine is a trained and experienced radio and television broadcaster and writer as well as an entertaining and accomplished speaker. She has a wealth of topics on which she is invited to speak. These range from witty after lunch and after dinner speaking to the more serious topics of the economy, health, education, enterprise, the Powers of the Mind and Life/work balance. She writes reviews and articles for lifestyle magazine, Lothian Life. She took part as a contestant in an ITV gourmet TV show, Chef V Britain, challenging TV chef Gino D'Acampo to cook her signature dish, Posh Cottage Pie. Currently Christine is a member of the Goodison Group in Scotland and Scotland's Futures. Also she is involved in the group Changing the Chemistry of Scottish Boards. Her first novel, Whitewalls, a modern Scottish family saga has been published by New Generation Publishing and is available on all internet books siets and from libraries. She is writing a sequel Autumn at Whitewalls.
Her leisure interests include her family, literature, music, theatre, food, wine and horse racing. She is a member of a racing syndicate, which has two horses in training.
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