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Archive for the ‘Artwork of the Week’ Category

‘Glasgow scene 1’

Posted by admin on March 18th, 2011

'Glasgow Scene 1'

‘Glasgow scene 1’, Acrylic & Pastel

As you know, most of my paintings are about the natural environment and in particular the upland landscape of Scotland.  I do though, occasionally work on paintings about the man made landscape and this little painting is one of two I did for a customer a few years ago.  It is based on the view from the train as it approaches the bridge over the Clyde and Central Station.  Even since I did this painting this scene has changed somewhat and several of the buildings have been cleared.  It did appear to be a somewhat run-down little area but that is what I liked.

After returning from Speyer last summer where I did a number of paintings based on the cathedral there, I’ve been thinking of doing a few pieces based on the buildings of Glasgow…..a little bit of the urban landscape for a change.

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‘Break in the cloud’

Posted by admin on March 17th, 2011
12 'Break in the cloud', Oil, 30 x 30 cm,

'Break in the cloud'

‘Break in the cloud’, Oil, 30 x 30 cm

 

I did this small painting a number of years ago and it’s a painting I still have and have been looking at again more recently.  Based on one of those days when you’re walking along in thick cloud and then suddenly it breaks for a few minutes …but I can’t to be honest remember which hill or time I was thinking about when I painted it!

It does however remind me of the time we climbed Ben Oss.  We’d walked in from the Glen Falloch side and as we started the long climb it started to snow.  It snowed heavily all the way up, driven along almost horizontally at times and very unpleasant.  As we staggered up the final steep little section onto the top, the snow suddenly eased and stopped and within a few minutes the clouds started to break and we caught glimpses into the Cononish glen on the other side.

One of the pleasures I get from painting is that the pictures remind me of the places we visit and the very special moments we sometimes have when walking in these wild places.  Anyway, this painting may be based on our day on Ben Oss ..or another day, another walk ..but it’s started to grab my attention again with its heavy bold paint.  I may try and work a new bigger version of this painting before too long.

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‘Winter patterns, west Highlands’

Posted by admin on March 5th, 2011
27 'Winter patterns, west Highlands', Pastel,

‘Winter patterns, west Highlands’

 

‘Winter patterns, west Highlands’, Pastel

This is one of my pastel drawings…. an ‘organised scribble’!  It is done in water soluble pastel on white paper and is based on a rather cold and misty view we had a number of years ago while up in the hills above Glen Coe.  This is one of the pieces currently being exhibited at The Strathearn Gallery and can be seen there until 12th March.

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‘October morning, Glen Lyon’

Posted by admin on February 25th, 2011

7 'October morning, Glen Lyon', Acrylic & Pastel, 22 x 22 cm

'October morning, Glen Lyon'

‘October morning, Glen Lyon’, Acrylic & Pastel, 22 x 22 cm

This is another of my small Glen Lyon pieces. I met a couple at the preview to the exhibition at The Strathearn Gallery who said they always made an effort to go to Glen Lyon each year to see the wonderful autumn colours. It certainly is quite spectacular if you catch it at just the right time. Although the hills surrounding the glen are high and wild, in the base of the glen there is a wonderful array of trees, both broad leaf and conifer. Pencil it in to your diary if you’re in striking distance of Glen Lyon this October!

This painting is currently on display as part of my exhibition at The Strathearn Gallery in Crieff. Details of all the work in the exhibition can be found at: www.strathearn-gallery.com . The exhibition runs until March 12th, so plenty of time still to get along…

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‘Drumochter sketch’

Posted by admin on February 19th, 2011
25 'Drumochter sketch', Pastel on gesso', 30 x 30 cm
‘Drumochter sketch’, Pastel on gesso, 2011, 30 x 30 cm, £280
As regular visitors to this website will know, I did quite a lot of drawing last summer while working in Speyer.  These large pieces were done with grey oil pastel on thick white paper.  I particularly liked the grey oil pastel line against the stark white paper and since returning to Scotland I’ve started working on smaller drawings – these based on my landscape paintings.  There is one difference though …these pieces are done on board that is coated with white gesso.  The gesso I use has a slightly course texture to it and this gives the pastel marks a slightly sharper appearance.
‘Drumochter sketch is one of two such drawings currently being exhibited in my exhibition ‘On the hill – impressions of the Scottish upland landscape’, at The Strathearn Gallery in Crieff.  The exhibition runs until 12th March and so if you haven’t had a chance yet to get along to see it, there’s plenty of time.  The work in the exhibition can be viewed by visiting www.strathearn-gallery.com .
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‘Overlooking Glen Coe’

Posted by admin on February 11th, 2011
26 'Overlooking Glen Coe', Acrylic & Pastel,

'Overlooking Glen Coe'

‘Overlooking Glen Coe’, Acrylic & Pastel

This painting is based on a day a while back when we were making our way along the ridge that twists its way between the top of the Devils staircase and Am Bodach. It’s a route we’ve taken a few times and it makes for superb but easy walking in the heart of Glen Coe. On this occasion the weather was fine but as we neared the high point at just over 900 m, a thick band of very low cloud drifted up the glen and started to obscure the hills. It didn’t last long and our hill stayed clear, but it made for a very atmospheric scene as we looked across the glen towards the flanks of Stob Coire Raineach.

‘Overlooking Glen Coe’ is currently on display as part of my exhibition at The Strathearn Gallery in Crieff. The exhibition opens on Saturday 12th February and continues until March 12th. For more details and to see all 45 paintings in the exhibition please visit: www.strathearn-gallery.com

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‘Below Canisp, Assynt’

Posted by admin on February 3rd, 2011
below-canisp-assynt-acrylic-pastel-2011-30-x-30-cm

'Below Canisp, Assynt'

‘Below Canisp, Assynt’, Acrylic & Pastel, 2011, 30 x 30 cm

I started this little painting around a year ago but in the rush to get everything together for my trip to Speyer I must have put it to one side and forgot all about it.  I found it a short while ago along with some blank primed painting boards ….and decided to have a crack at finishing it.

It’s based on the wild spot immediately below Canisp in Assynt.  Set below the northern flanks of the hill (as I remember it) are a couple of beautiful wee lochs.  If you follow the route described in the books, the path avoids these lochs, climbing above them.  However it is much better in my opinion to avoid the path and make across the open and very stony ground to reach these lochs and then clamber more steeply uphill to gain the path higher up.  We sat by one of the lochs both on our way up and on our descent.  It really is a wild and remote spot …incredibly quiet and stunningly beautiful.  On the two occasions we’ve walked this hill, both times in May, we’ve seen no other walkers.  The viewpoint from the summit of Canisp is special as your eye is caught by the magnificent outline of Suilven just to the south west.  This is definitely a hill to take your time on …in May there’s no shortage of daylight and in good weather you can just wonder across this ancient and awe inspiring landscape.

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‘Breaking mists, the Pap of Glen Coe’

Posted by admin on January 27th, 2011
44 'Breaking mists, the Pap of Glen Coe', Acrylic & Pastel, 80 x 80 cm
‘Breaking mists, the Pap of Glen Coe’, Acrylic & Pastel, 2011, 80 x 80 cm
Nothing like plugging my exhibition next month is there?! This is of course, one of the paintings that will be included in the show. Based on a couple of earlier smaller paintings I did, this tries to capture the moment when the thick cloud suddenly broke and we got brief but beautiful views across to the Pap of Glen Coe and down towards Loch Leven. At 80 x 80 cm this painting is considerably larger than the earlier versions and as such I’ve had more room to explore the colours and marks in this piece….the paint is slightly thicker with more surface texture and the colours are brighter. As with most of my bigger paintings, this piece will be exhibited in a broad simple cream coloured wooden frame with a thin gold slip between the frame and the painting. It has also been framed without glass so that the surface marks can be seen more easily.
The exhibition, ‘On the hill – impressions of the Scottish upland landscape’ will run from February 12th – March 12th 2011. I hope you can get along to see this piece along with 44 other paintings and drawings. If it’s too far to travel then images of all the work should be available to view on The Strathearn Gallery website shortly www.strathearn-gallery.com
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‘Towards Am Bodach, Glen Coe’

Posted by admin on January 21st, 2011
towards-am-bodach-glen-coe-acrylic-pastel-2011-30-x-30-cm

'Towards Am Bodach, Glen Coe'

‘Towards Am Bodach, Glen Coe’, Acrylic & Pastel, 2011, 30 x 30 cm

This is my most recent small painting. It’s a re-working of a piece I did last year, but looks at the view from a slightly different position. The ridge starts as a broad rough grassy shoulder at the point where the West Highland Way crosses at the top of the Devils Staircase. It gradually turns into a more defined ridge and continues over several tops all the way to Am Bodach …and the start of the Aonach Eagach. It makes wonderful wild but easy walking for us lesser mortals who avoid the really serious stuff ahead and the views the whole way along are just spectacular …being as it is, in the heart of Glen Coe. A grand day out, especially if followed almost all the way to Am Bodach before following an awkward little path down to the A82 in the base of the glen and then following the old military road back to your start point. I’m really rather pleased with this little painting as I think it combines the paint and the pastel well. Its first public airing will be at The Strathearn Gallery as part of my solo exhibition, ‘On the hill – impressions of the Scottish upland landscape’. The exhibition runs 12th February – 12th March.

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‘In Glen Rosa, Isle of Arran’

Posted by admin on January 8th, 2011
'In Glen Rosa, Isle of Arran', Acrylic & Pastel, 2010, 30 x 30 cm (Ref 158)

'In Glen Rosa, Isle of Arran'

‘In Glen Rosa, Isle of Arran’, Acrylic & Pastel, 2010, 30 x 30 cm (Ref 158)

It snowed again here yesterday evening and they’re forecasting a little more later this afternoon. Everything certainly looks very beautiful again and when I was down on the harbour side earlier this morning, the snow covered mountains over on the Isle of Arran were standing out quite clearly ….viewed through my monocular that is! It made me realise quite how fast 2010 seems to have gone by …it is only just under a year since Nita and I spent a very memorable day walking in Glen Rosa, spending time to sit and sketch and photograph the stunning Arran peaks covered in snow.

I did a number of small drawings that day and from these I developed several paintings. This piece, although quite small (30 x 30cm) was probably the most successful and it has just reminded me that on the day we were there, we decided we needed to return and walk Beinn a’ Chliabhain from Glen Rosa via Coire Beag. It certainly looked a nice route – better than following the rather worn and more traditional path up the side of the Garbh Allt.

Anyway, this is one of the paintings that will be displayed at The Strathearn Gallery as part of my solo exhibition ‘On the hill – impressions of the Scottish upland landscape’. The exhibition will run from February 12th – March 12th 2011. Full details nearer the time.

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