The Arbat by Fionna Carlisle (b. 1954) is a vivid, expressionistic painting that captures the energy and emotion of a lively social gathering. Executed in bold, gestural brushstrokes and a striking palette of purples, yellows, reds, and blues, the composition pulses with movement and intensity. Figures blur and overlap in a dynamic scene of interaction and celebration. Carlisle’s expressive style reflects the influence of the Edinburgh School, where she studied in the 1970s. Now based between Scotland and Crete, her use of rich colour and fluid form speaks to a deep engagement with place, atmosphere, and human presence.

Fionna Carlisle, born 1954

Carlisle was born in Wick, Caithness, and studied at Edinburgh College of Art from 1972 to 1976. In 1976 she was awarded an Andrew Grant Postgraduate Scholarship. Since her first one-woman exhibition at the 369 Gallery in Edinburgh, in 1978, she has exhibited in numerous group and solo shows in Scotland and London. In the late 1970s Carlisle's work was Matisse-like in its use of flat areas of colour and black contour lines, but since then her technique has become much more fluid. In 1984 she discovered Greece and lived for many years in Crete. Her paintings from this period are infused with the spirit of the country. The pictures, both still lifes and figure groups, are colourful, joyful works, full of energy.