On Broughton's westernmost fringe stands Bon Papillon, a venture at 15 Howe Street which Spurtle discovered yesterday and mistakenly thought was new. In fact, it has been up and running since May.
Here in the heart of Edinburgh's fine-art-and-scones quarter, Ingrid Nilsson and Stuart Allan have created a spacious café cum gallery where the walls are lined with attractive contemporary works for sale and the counter creaks under the weight of attractive contemporary edibles.
At the back of the premises lie further gallery space and Nilsson's studio where – in full view of the customers – she creates paintings inspired by experiences in Scotland and further afield, particularly the Far East. 'I have a need to diarise, invent and narrate the stories, imaginings and observations that clamour for attention in my head,' she writes.
'My paintings are essentially autobiographical and usually take a figurative start point. The characters and ideas evolve over time, influenced by travel, study and absorption of images.'
The piece shown below – 'The Summer of Nine' – was one of many which charmed and amused. It is based on a season spent on Arran during which artist and partner worked at a seafood restaurant by Brodick.
To find out more, and to follow a regularly updated blog, visit www.bonpapillon.com. Details of a forthcoming new exhibition will appear in Issue 203.
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