What's On
We have an exciting programme of Exhibitions and Events throughout the year, often held in the upper room of Thomson's Tower.
Events & Exhibitions
Exhibition: 'Echoes' - Ceramics and Paintings
23 Jul 2026
-
28 Jul 2026
|
10:30am to 4:30pm
In this exhibition, the work of three local artists - two painters and one ceramicist - engages the viewer with echoes of nature and the senses.
Pat Paige is an Edinburgh based artist. She finds inspiration when working outside in nature and is concerned with expressing a particular moment and place with its associated feelings and memories. Her current work explores the colour, rhythms and patterns of fallen blossom in Starbank Park at Newhaven. Quick colour sketches outdoors are developed into oil paintings in her studio to produce more abstract responses to the subject.
Fiona Morris’ work has emerged from her fascination with the intricate and flowing organic forms in found objects from the seashore and the Borders countryside around her: shells, seaweed, leaves and seed heads. Beginning with close observation drawings, she uses hand building techniques - pinching, coiling and slabbing - and a variety of clays to create decorative and/or functional pieces in 3D and relief. Colour is added with washes of underglaze, with transparent gloss to emphasise the forms and textures she’s particularly interested in.
Kate Gray’s current body of work is a visceral and immediate response to a variety of pieces of music. The ‘flow’ state, where the painting ‘takes over’, means that the use of colour and form are unplanned, leaving each piece open to individual interpretation.
> There will be an opportunity to meet all three artists on Saturday 25th July, from 2pm to 4pm. All welcome!
Exhibition: Tarry A While
23 Jul 2026
-
28 Jul 2026
|
Mon 2pm to 5pm, Tue-Sun 10am to 5pm. FREE ENTRY
Four artists from Edinburgh and the Clyde Valley invite you to ‘Tarry A While’. This archaic and poetic phrase is a way of inviting someone to linger or wait in a relaxed, unhurried manner. Janette, Margaret, Duncan and Ronnie warmly invite you to tarry with them for a glimpse into their creative world of colour, line, shape and movement.
Janette Sumner is deeply influenced by the fleeting beauty of coastal tidelines. She takes a multi-layered mixed media approach to capture the transient nature of these shifting microhabitats.
Margaret Findlay finds profound beauty in the decay of abandoned cottages and farmsteads. Through an exploration of derelict spaces, she finds inspiration in the play of light streaming through gaping roofs and the structural echoes of a functional past.
Duncan Findlay uses a structured visual language of geometric shapes and bold primary colours, reflecting a desire to compartmentalise and organise experience into a vibrant, balanced, and intentional aesthetic.
Ronnie Cruwys is inspired by the lush, sensory environment of the Clyde Valley orchards. This physical connection is translated into observational sketches and studies that capture the movement and essence of the landscape.
> There will be an opportunity to meet all four artists on Saturday 16th May, from 3pm to 5pm. All welcome!
Workshop: Forest Bathing & Sound Bath
23 Jul 2026
-
28 Jul 2026
|
2pm to 4:30pm
Join Wilma Patrizio and her colleague Emma, of Sound Bath Edinburgh, for an afternoon of relaxation, reflection and connection. This informal journey will begin with Shinrin Yoku (forest bathing) when you will connect deeply with the essence of the Garden using all of your senses. You will use Pranayama breathing techniques to awaken, ground and relax both body and mind, and end with a beautiful sound bath to ground and balance your energy.
There will be time to connect, reflect, share or journal with herbal tea and homemade cake and you will receive a gift bag to take home to continue your selfcare journey.
Click on the QR code for full details or contact Wilma for more information on 07984 146164 or by email.
Exhibition: Painting & Pots
23 Jul 2026
-
28 Jul 2026
|
10am to 6pm
Chris Watkins is returning to the Garden for an exhibition of his very special pottery alongside artist and art educator, Siri France.
Chris Watkins is an Edinburgh based potter, painter and Qigong teacher. Having studied art and architecture at Kingston College of Art and later Edinburgh College of Art and Architecture, Chris started his first pottery in Scotland in 1970. He is a member of the Scottish Potters Association and has pieces in galleries and exhibitions throughout Scotland.
Siri France’s work is mainly in painting and drawing and combines careful observation with expressive use of materials. She has a BA in fine art from Newcastle Polytechnic and the school of the Art Institute of Chicago. She also has a post graduate diploma in art therapy from Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh. As well as work in and out of the studio, Siri has 20 years’ experience teaching art both privately and with local art schools, Birchwood art studio and Edinburgh Drawing School.
Exhibition: Between Land & Water
23 Jul 2026
-
28 Jul 2026
|
11am to 4pm
A painting and photography exhibition with four artists.
Damian Callan is a figurative painter based in Edinburgh. His subject is the moving figure, drawn and painted in strong tonal contrasts.
He runs drawing and painting classes for adults and art classes for children from his studio at Silvan House, opposite Edinburgh Zoo. He is the author of two books, Paint Like Degas and Paint Like Renoir, and his work has been widely exhibited across the UK.
Eiko Yamashita is a printmaker and painter based in Edinburgh. She graduated with MA Fine Art from Wimbledon College of Arts in 2002 and moved to Scotland the following year. She is a member of Edinburgh Printmakers and Society of Scottish Artists.
Her recent works are about nature and nature worship, inspired by Hokusai and other 18-19th century Japanese artists who depicted hills, lakes and woods as objects of worship. These ideas are from Japanese Shinto, animism which deeply influenced Japanese culture and philosophy. Another theme is gravity. She has been creating prints and paintings of the human body in air and water, symbolizing the conflicted feelings of restraint & stability, freedom & uncertainty, anxiety & healing.
Komachi Goto’s artistic work focuses mainly on painting and drawing subjects that capture her curiosity. She often explores the hidden stories, histories, and emotional backgrounds behind the people or scenes she depicts. Her art reflects a strong interest in narrative and the unseen context surrounding everyday life.
Patrick Poon takes a daily walk with his camera in Edinburgh’s green spaces, coastline and beyond. He is sometimes lucky enough to find the extraordinary in the everyday. Patrick delights in collecting and sharing these serendipitous images, hoping they convey the quiet wonder felt when he captured them.
Events & Exhibitions
23 Jul 2026
-
28 Jul 2026
Exhibition: 'Echoes' - Ceramics and Paintings
In this exhibition, the work of three local artists - two painters and one ceramicist - engages the viewer with echoes of nature and the senses.
Pat Paige is an Edinburgh based artist. She finds inspiration when working outside in nature and is concerned with expressing a particular moment and place with its associated feelings and memories. Her current work explores the colour, rhythms and patterns of fallen blossom in Starbank Park at Newhaven. Quick colour sketches outdoors are developed into oil paintings in her studio to produce more abstract responses to the subject.
Fiona Morris’ work has emerged from her fascination with the intricate and flowing organic forms in found objects from the seashore and the Borders countryside around her: shells, seaweed, leaves and seed heads. Beginning with close observation drawings, she uses hand building techniques - pinching, coiling and slabbing - and a variety of clays to create decorative and/or functional pieces in 3D and relief. Colour is added with washes of underglaze, with transparent gloss to emphasise the forms and textures she’s particularly interested in.
Kate Gray’s current body of work is a visceral and immediate response to a variety of pieces of music. The ‘flow’ state, where the painting ‘takes over’, means that the use of colour and form are unplanned, leaving each piece open to individual interpretation.
> There will be an opportunity to meet all three artists on Saturday 25th July, from 2pm to 4pm. All welcome!
23 Jul 2026
-
28 Jul 2026
Exhibition: 'Echoes' - Ceramics and Paintings
Four artists from Edinburgh and the Clyde Valley invite you to ‘Tarry A While’. This archaic and poetic phrase is a way of inviting someone to linger or wait in a relaxed, unhurried manner. Janette, Margaret, Duncan and Ronnie warmly invite you to tarry with them for a glimpse into their creative world of colour, line, shape and movement.
Janette Sumner is deeply influenced by the fleeting beauty of coastal tidelines. She takes a multi-layered mixed media approach to capture the transient nature of these shifting microhabitats.
Margaret Findlay finds profound beauty in the decay of abandoned cottages and farmsteads. Through an exploration of derelict spaces, she finds inspiration in the play of light streaming through gaping roofs and the structural echoes of a functional past.
Duncan Findlay uses a structured visual language of geometric shapes and bold primary colours, reflecting a desire to compartmentalise and organise experience into a vibrant, balanced, and intentional aesthetic.
Ronnie Cruwys is inspired by the lush, sensory environment of the Clyde Valley orchards. This physical connection is translated into observational sketches and studies that capture the movement and essence of the landscape.
> There will be an opportunity to meet all four artists on Saturday 16th May, from 3pm to 5pm. All welcome!
23 Jul 2026
-
28 Jul 2026
Exhibition: 'Echoes' - Ceramics and Paintings
Join Wilma Patrizio and her colleague Emma, of Sound Bath Edinburgh, for an afternoon of relaxation, reflection and connection. This informal journey will begin with Shinrin Yoku (forest bathing) when you will connect deeply with the essence of the Garden using all of your senses. You will use Pranayama breathing techniques to awaken, ground and relax both body and mind, and end with a beautiful sound bath to ground and balance your energy.
There will be time to connect, reflect, share or journal with herbal tea and homemade cake and you will receive a gift bag to take home to continue your selfcare journey.
Click on the QR code for full details or contact Wilma for more information on 07984 146164 or by email.
23 Jul 2026
-
28 Jul 2026
Exhibition: 'Echoes' - Ceramics and Paintings
Chris Watkins is returning to the Garden for an exhibition of his very special pottery alongside artist and art educator, Siri France.
Chris Watkins is an Edinburgh based potter, painter and Qigong teacher. Having studied art and architecture at Kingston College of Art and later Edinburgh College of Art and Architecture, Chris started his first pottery in Scotland in 1970. He is a member of the Scottish Potters Association and has pieces in galleries and exhibitions throughout Scotland.
Siri France’s work is mainly in painting and drawing and combines careful observation with expressive use of materials. She has a BA in fine art from Newcastle Polytechnic and the school of the Art Institute of Chicago. She also has a post graduate diploma in art therapy from Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh. As well as work in and out of the studio, Siri has 20 years’ experience teaching art both privately and with local art schools, Birchwood art studio and Edinburgh Drawing School.
23 Jul 2026
-
28 Jul 2026
Exhibition: 'Echoes' - Ceramics and Paintings
A painting and photography exhibition with four artists.
Damian Callan is a figurative painter based in Edinburgh. His subject is the moving figure, drawn and painted in strong tonal contrasts.
He runs drawing and painting classes for adults and art classes for children from his studio at Silvan House, opposite Edinburgh Zoo. He is the author of two books, Paint Like Degas and Paint Like Renoir, and his work has been widely exhibited across the UK.
Eiko Yamashita is a printmaker and painter based in Edinburgh. She graduated with MA Fine Art from Wimbledon College of Arts in 2002 and moved to Scotland the following year. She is a member of Edinburgh Printmakers and Society of Scottish Artists.
Her recent works are about nature and nature worship, inspired by Hokusai and other 18-19th century Japanese artists who depicted hills, lakes and woods as objects of worship. These ideas are from Japanese Shinto, animism which deeply influenced Japanese culture and philosophy. Another theme is gravity. She has been creating prints and paintings of the human body in air and water, symbolizing the conflicted feelings of restraint & stability, freedom & uncertainty, anxiety & healing.
Komachi Goto’s artistic work focuses mainly on painting and drawing subjects that capture her curiosity. She often explores the hidden stories, histories, and emotional backgrounds behind the people or scenes she depicts. Her art reflects a strong interest in narrative and the unseen context surrounding everyday life.
Patrick Poon takes a daily walk with his camera in Edinburgh’s green spaces, coastline and beyond. He is sometimes lucky enough to find the extraordinary in the everyday. Patrick delights in collecting and sharing these serendipitous images, hoping they convey the quiet wonder felt when he captured them.
