By Heidi Trautmann

Two new artists have joined the scene in North Cyprus. Bidi McIntyre and Steve Templeman.  They used to live and work in Bahrain until three years ago when they decided to retire and come to Cyprus where they own a place in Catalköy.

They have set up their studios, Steve in mosaics and landscape painting, and Bidi in etching …..exciting. That gives us art lovers a new interesting insight in fields of art activities not represented here. Etching….and a studio with a press… that wets the appetite.  In North Cyprus we don’t have artists specializing on etching, there are some who do lino cuts and wood cuts such as Ipek Karagöz and Mustafa Öztunç, perhaps there is some work done in the art departments of the local universities. There is a printmaking museum and school in the southern part of Cyprus though, the Hambis Printmaking Centre, they also do etching…And there is also nothing in the field of mosaics, which is one of the old arts and of which you find samples in the old city kingdoms of Cyprus.

Bidi McIntyre had leaflets laid out with explanations around etching, to show what makes it so special and how it is done. A very welcome effort by the artist to share her knowledge, and it makes you appreciate the art works more, the different works from black and white line etching to different processes with marks and textures on steel plates of which she had displayed one.

Steve Templeman – his name is already giving away the philosophy of his working in art - concentrating on a very detailed presentation of antique Cyprus buildings, playing with forms sculpted in sandstone by wind and waves, and of course his graphic very precise designing of mosaic works where you have to work with utmost precision. His landscape paintings suggest that he is a very romantic person, melting away with the unbelievable dark red Cypriot sunsets.

The exhibition is still open until April 8; Mon-Sat 10-17:00 and Sun 9-12 in support of Tulips – Those with cancer.