When I read that Amanda Temple was to have an exhibition in the Edinburgh Gallery, at the Bermuda Society of Arts, I naturally assumed that it was to be a photography show. This is what she is known for.

When I later learned that it was to be a painting exhibition, I was surprised and wondered what it was we were in for. Since Ms Temple is not known as a painter, I did not know what to expect.

Amanda Temple's recent photographs depict the micro world and as such, they visualise the unfamiliar and enigmatic. Knowing this, I realised that, whatever it was she had chosen to paint, it would, in all likelihood, be something akin to her photographic themes and this turns out to be the case. Just as her photography is about aspects of the micro-world, we usually overlook, so her paintings, which are obviously exploratory and experimental, are likewise out of the ordinary.

"Mixology" is the title she has chosen for this, her first solo painting exhibition. Thematically, it is about different seas around the world, the Aegean, the Sargasso, the Black Sea, among others. Additionally, while investigating this theme, she also resorted to exploring a multitude of different materials, such as acrylic paint, enamel, polyurethane, sparkle, varnish, Pledge, eggshell, lacquer, palmolive and earth. She combines these, using a variety of techniques. The exhibition which consists of 33 paintings, is essentially, multifaceted in scope, hence the title.

In a recent interview, Ms Temple described her work as abstract which is true, to a degree, in that the artist has not attempted to render the visual world as we usually see it. Nevertheless, her work is about reality — the reality of the actual painting, including it's materiality and then there is the reality of her imagination. In letting her mind have free rein, Ms Temple's attraction to the ocean, as described in her artist statement, comes through vividly.

The sense of water in these paintings is almost wetter than actual water. Take for example #22, 'Aegean I'. Aqua, the painting's dominant colour appears as if transparent, as if one could look into it and even reach into it; suspended within are a multitude of microbe-like organisms, each seemingly surrounded by a whitish halo. In reality, these are the artist's fingerprints. This painting, however, is only one example in a group of nine works, that are notable for their naturalness and apparent spontaneity. These paintings are square in shape, 12x12 inches.

There are several other such groupings in this show and to me, at least, these small square paintings, that make up these groups, are Ms Temple's best works in this exhibition. Freshness and naturalness in the application of paint and the make-up of the composition, allow one to almost believe this all just happened, as if the forces of nature created them. One such group of four, depicts seas with names beginning with the letter A, such as Aral or Azov. These paintings are composed around a central point, giving the compositions, a radial symmetry. The paint then radiates out from the centre in an explosive manner. Each painting in this group is also square, 10x10 inches.

Two paintings, 'Naipi del Iguaçu' and 'Taroba del Iguaçu' are exhibited together so as to form a "diptych". Each paintings is of a rectangular format, the size of each being 24 inches high by 36 wide. Running through the middle of each painting is a mostly blue, irregular, rather thick, horizontal line that evidently symbolises the river, of which the famous Iguaçu waterfalls are a part.

The painting's outer areas are an earthy red, mirroring the region's red soil, but which, in the artist's mind symbolises the passionate love described in an Indian Legend of a beautiful maiden and her lover, who, in fleeing from the clutches of the snake god in a canoe, are eternally separated from each other, through the curse imposed by this hateful god. The abstract composition suggests the actual physical aspect of this landscape, mainly through colour; but the diptych format is also a part of it, the two canvases, suggesting the two countries, that border each other across the Rio Iguaçu, Argentina and Brazil.

One painting that caught my attention is 'Bohai II', which is notable for its apparent great depth, although, in reality, this painting is relatively small and flat. The perception of depth is an impressive illusion. I was reminded of several caves in Tom Moore's Jungle.

This exhibition is a remarkable new direction for Ms Temple and art lovers should try to see. I, for one, look forward to seeing where, like the Iguaçu on its way to the Parana, she will take this new artistic tributary.

The exhibition continues through December 12, 2007.