Glasgow’s Daniel Donnelly, Arran’s Damo Beeson Bullen, and Edinburgh’s Tam Treanor and his daughter Frieda are initiating Scotland’s newest, & freshest art movement: Continualism.

How did you come to work together?
Damo: I had some art waiting for an audience and asked Six Foot if I could use their gallery space. It soon became obvious that Daniel should be part of the exhibition too. I was at Edinburgh Fringe Festival crashing on Tam’s floor and was blown away by the canvases he had created with his daughter. So, the story began.

How did you arrive at the theme of your exhibition?
Damo: Daniel and I were walking to the Mickey Nines gig last November talking about paint, art emotion and how they combine. Daniele turned around and said let’s create a movement called Continualism. And so, we did.

What’s your favourite piece in the exhibition?
Damo: Birth of Sphere because it was the most transcendental experience to paint. It was fast and energetic.

Tam: Paintings are like kids I’m not saying which is my favourite but my daughter and collaborator Frieda says she likes ‘Water Blossom’

Daniel: They’re all one

Can you walk us through your creative process?
Daniel: Filled with spiritual content, colours and strokes are currently my main concern.

Tam: Frieda and I like to let our mood, and environment we are painting inform our process. Sometimes we have a preconceived subject in mind, other times the work is conceived in the moment or some combination of the two. Our collaboration forces Frieda and I to push and pull as we build out the paintings together. Sometimes we have to compromise and allow each other’s vision to come through – it’s a dialog between us and a great way for us to connect through the art we make.

Damo: I like my paintings to evolve naturally. I put the canvas on the easel and as the mood comes, they just evolve sometimes over weeks sometimes over months sometimes in a mad flash they just appear.

How do you overcome creative blocks?
Tam: Since there are two of us then it’s unlikely we both have a blockage at the same time so creative blocks are quite rare. The biggest challenge is often knowing when to stop. If we do have a creative block then I like to let the paint dry and try another layer after some dream time.

Frieda: Try a new colour, try lines and shapes just try something and move forward.

Daniel: turn to the tools of art, simplicity and let my mind wander.

Damo: Time- when you’re not in any rush and just wait for inspiration then you don’t really have creative block

Who influences you? Which other artists’ work do you love? 
Tam: Ha ha Frieda is a big influence – we keep each other moving.

Frieda: I don’t think I just do.

Damo: It started off with Kandinski – then I just went off on my own from there.

Daniel: I am still enthralled by Van Gogh particularly

What advice would you give to artists who are just starting out?
Tam: Deadlines are useful. Just start and finish. Then start another.

Frieda: Start with one colour then add other colours with flicks and shapes. And try not to draw specific things when drawing abstract art. When you’re feeling a certain emotion like if you’re feeling sad then you might add some more water and add careful strokes. But when you’re angry you might draw straight and sharp strokes.

Continualism: Exhibition Number One runs at Six Foot Gallery until August 1st 2024.