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Exhibitions | Scottish Landscape Art - Scottish Landscape Paintings - Part 3

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Ahead of schedule

Posted by admin on December 21st, 2014

Last Wednesday afternoon at about half past four I stood back from the big Glen Rosa drawing and decided that it was probably finished.  When I planned the project, all I knew was that I’d have around 35 days in which to complete it.  To be honest I really wasn’t sure that it would be enough time but there was really no way of knowing.   Over the previous 18 months I’d done eight or nine double A1 size “test” drawings to see amongst other things, just how long it would take me to do this size drawing using graphite pencils.  These smaller pieces took around 5 days work…..so I kind of figured that I should have enough time to do the large piece.

Glen Rosa drawing, detail

Glen Rosa drawing, detail

Regardless of how much I planned, there were however, still many unknown factors when it came to the large drawing.  One of these was of course, how much time I spent talking!  Working in a public gallery in a busy arts centre meant that many people would be walking by watching the drawing develop.  This was an important part of the project but before starting I just didn’t know quite how busy it would be and quite how much time I’d spend talking rather than drawing.  As it turned out, the balance was just about right for me.  There have been plenty of people stopping to look comment and chat but there has also been ample time in between, for me to get down to work.

Glen Rosa drawing detail - 2

Glen Rosa drawing detail – 2

I have to say that I’ve really enjoyed working in the gallery in the Harbour Arts Centre.  It’s a magnificent space and the main wall is just perfect for creating a large piece of work.  The project seems to have generated a lot of interest too and hopefully will have encouraged a few folk with their own artistic endeavours.

Glen Rosa drawing detail - 3

Glen Rosa drawing detail – 3

I’ll be popping into the gallery to tidy up and remove the large piece of paper I taped to the floor to catch all the graphite and bits of rubber.  Then, it will be about done I guess.  Of course, as you know, I do like to give these things a little time and now that I’m ahead of schedule I can let this huge drawing settle while I go back to my studio and start work on the Brazil commissions.  I’ll pop in to see the drawing most days and then, if I feel that there are any parts of it that need a little extra work, I can do this in the final week before the “End view” on January 8th, between 7pm and 9pm.

Finished drawing

Finished drawing

I do hope you’ve enjoyed following the progress of this piece of work…..especially if you’ve managed to get into the HAC to see things for real, or if you’ve been following  the short time lapse videos that Graham, Tosh and the team at Model X Media have been recording and posting on line each day.  You can find out more about this great Ayrshire based company by visiting their website: www.modelxmedia.com .

These blogs have been a little few and far between over the last two months or so but I’ll try to get things back to a normal weekly routine soon.  In the meantime, I hope you all have a very Happy Christmas.

Posted in Exhibitions, Harbour Arts Centre, Information Updates, Scottish Mountains Tags: , , , , , , , , No Comments »

Finally, back blogging again!

Posted by admin on November 24th, 2014

“In sun, snow mist and rain”
An exhibition and drawing project by Keith Salmon
Harbour Arts Centre, Irvine. 28th November 2014 – 9th January 2015

Well then, it’s been a good few weeks since my last blog and I can only apologise. I occasionally miss an odd week but in over four years have never missed 5 weeks on a row! As anyone who follows my Face Book page, Keith Salmon – Scottish Landscape Artist will know, I became unwell while away in Brazil at the start of October and unfortunately got worse on my return to Scotland. It ended up with me in hospital for 11 days and it’s been a slow recovery since getting home…..hence no blog! A very big thanks to all the staff on ward 3F at Crosshouse Hospital…..they looked after me so well.

Anyway, I’m getting back to normal now although playing catch-up with all the plans for my exhibition and drawing project at the Harbour Arts Centre ……opening on Thursday evening, 27th November, 7pm – 9pm. Of course, of course, Nita took up the reins while I was in hospital and kept everything on course for me. Thankfully all the paintings were ready and it was the organisational side, emails, getting the posters and invitation printed and out…….etc, that needed doing. She did a great job and I’m expecting a hefty bill when her invoice comes in!!!! So then, a big thank you to her for all the work she has done for me over the last six weeks ……as well as visiting me twice daily while I was in the hospital. I think she is more exhausted than I am. I think I need to buy her some chocolate or something!

The exhibition, containing I think, 31 paintings, was hung on Thursday last week. It was a little earlier than planned as Joe and Graham who normally hang the exhibitions at the HAC are both on holiday this week. They did an excellent job and I’m very pleased with the way it all looks and have already had some good comments from visitors to the centre. The big 4.5 m x 1.5m piece of paper is up on the wall and ready for me to start work on the Glen Rosa drawing. Having a few days extra now, I’ve decided to start work on it a little early……tomorrow in fact. This will be quite good for the preview though as it’ll mean there will be the start of the drawing for people to see, rather than a big blank piece of paper. I can’t wait to start ….it’s really exciting.

We’ll be making short time lapse recordings of each days work and these will go up on-line. I haven’t the full details yet but will post this information ASAP. I’ll make sure we have a link from my website to the footage so that anyone not living close by can follow the progress of the drawing. Of course I’ll not be working there every day as I want to start doing a bit of walking again. I lost well over a stone in weight and all my hard work at getting fit over the last 10 months has gone with the illness. I’ll probably start with a couple of low level walks to get the legs back into action before thinking about going up a hill again. I’ll no doubt keep you up to date with all the agonies of getting fit again!!

Right then, I do hope some of you can get along to the Preview on Thursday evening or manage to call into the Harbour Arts Centre to see the exhibition and the big drawing at some point over the next month or so. I look forward to meeting you. Please help spread the word ….thank you.

Keith Salmon Harbour Arts Centre Exhibition 2014

Keith Salmon Harbour Arts Centre Exhibition 2014

-o-o-o-o-

Posted in Brazil, Exhibitions, Harbour Arts Centre, Information Updates Tags: , , , , 1 Comment »

Back in Scotland…..and painting again…..take 2!

Posted by admin on October 23rd, 2014

I actually wrote this blog yesterday evening but after 3 hours my computer crashed and I somehow lost the whole document! So here we go again.

Well then, that’s us back in sunny Scotland and back to business as usual at the studio. We arrived back from Brazil after a very long journey, at about 01.00 last Thursday morning. Wow, quite a trip, especially as only about two weeks before I been bumbling along getting work ready for the Harbour Arts Centre show in November and planning the big studio tidy-up before the Courtyard Studios Open Weekend on 4th / 5th October.

On the initial tour of the Matarazzo Hospital exhibition

On the initial tour of the Matarazzo Hospital exhibition

Then, right out of the blue I get an email from a company in Brazil asking if I can get down to Sao Paulo for a few days before October 12th. To be honest, I didn’t really know quite what to make of it as sadly there are a lot of internet scams aimed at artists these days. I decided to send it to John who not only does all the admin for this website but also acts as my agent and advisor. He very kindly checked it out and got back to me the next day saying that all was OK and that if I was prepared to rush down to Sao Paulo at short notice, he’d try and fix everything with the people in Brazil.

Sketching the old buildings

Sketching the old buildings

Well, it was a hectic few days with emails winging there way back and forth between John, (who is based in Bogota), Lucila (the lady organising the trip in Sao Paulo) and I. Finally on Tuesday 7th we got the email from Brazil saying all was “go” and that they’d be booking the flights and hotel and getting back to us. Things in the Salmon / Groves house were somewhat crazy at this stage as we suddenly had to get everything arranged to go away the following evening ….Nita had to arrange time off from work, we had to get the cat to the cattery, (he wasn’t amused) and we also had to get everything packed. In the end the flight left Edinburgh at 06.00 Thursday morning and so it wasn’t quite as mad a rush as we’d thought ….but pretty mad all the same!

In the Matarazzo Hospital

In the Matarazzo Hospital

I had been invited to travel to Sao Paulo to take part in a large arts project in the city. The project involves creating a new art, culture and tourism centre on the site of the old un-used Matarazzo hospital. Before the work starts though it had been decided that they would hold a large contemporary art exhibition in the grounds and buildings of this fine old hospital. The exhibition ended on Sunday 12th October and one of the sponsors thought it would be a great idea to invite a professional artist who was visually impaired to visit the exhibition and to then create a small series of paintings capturing the spirit of the place and work. I was the lucky person to be invited.

A quick hop took us to Amsterdam and then we had the eleven and a half hour haul down to Sao Paulo. Phew, was I glad to get off that plane or what?! Thankfully we were met by a very nice chap called Gilsom who drove us the 45 minutes into the city and our hotel.

Friday proved a very busy one as we met up with a representative of the company sponsoring my trip (Absolut Elyx) and were then given a guided tour around the exhibition…..being followed the whole way by a small film crew who were there to record the meeting for the company. The afternoon found me being interviewed for one of the Sao Paulo daily newspapers. After that I was able to get down to some work and expertly guided as usual by Nita, I spent the rest of Friday and a good chunk of Saturday and Monday wandering around the exhibition, just looking, photographing, sketching and just taking everything in ….in short, doing exactly what I do when we’re in the hills. After 4 hours in very hot conditions on Monday (it was 38° C) I decided that I’d probably got enough to work with and we retreated to the cool of our very posh air conditioned hotel ….and finished with a cold beer!

One of the many exhibits

One of the many exhibits

We flew back the following day, but with a nine hour wait in Paris for the connecting flight to Edinburgh ….hence the 01.00 arrival home in Irvine on Thursday morning. Suffice to say that we were a little whacked by the time we finally put our heads down and only surfaced mid morning for an hour or so in order to go claim our cat back from the cattery…….he wasn’t amused!

It’s hard to believe that we’ve been all the way to Brazil and back ….perhaps it was just a dream? But no! We have the packet of Brazil nuts from the hotel mini-bar to prove it! Now the interesting bit begins…..I have five paintings to complete by late February.

I have my attention back on the Harbour Arts Centre exhibition and the big drawing project there in November / December, but reckon I’ll probably do the smaller Brazil paintings in the evenings after I’ve finished the days work on the big graphite drawing. I’ll then be able to do the final larger painting once the HAC show is over at the end of the first week in January. The finished Brazil paintings are to be shipped back to Sao Paulo and then put in a gallery and auctioned to raise funds for the on-going project. I’ll keep you updated on all this work … doubt that I’ll be spending much time at home over the next few months. Watch this space.

Posted in Brazil, Buildings, city landscapes, Commissioned Artwork, Commissions, Courtyard Studios Open Weekend, Exhibitions, Harbour Arts Centre, Information Updates Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , No Comments »

A very rushed blog!

Posted by admin on October 3rd, 2014
Courtyard Studios, Irvine

Courtyard Studios, Irvine

No lengthy paragraphs describing beautiful Scottish scenery this week. We haven’t been anywhere near a hill or glen since our trip to Tyndrum the other week I’m afraid. It’s been a very hectic time both getting everything ready for the Open Weekend at Courtyard Studios this Saturday and Sunday and starting the preparations for my exhibition and drawing project at the Harbour Arts Centre starting on Nov 28th. This is still two months away but much of the organising and promotion has to be done in the next few weeks. This will involve much hammering away on this computer keyboard ….something that I’m not too proficient at. With all this on the go, another potential project has just appeared which, although not finalised yet, has been taking much of my thoughts. Suffice to say that it is very exciting and may well involve creating another large drawing or painting. Anyway, more about that as and when I know whether it’s happening or not.

I’ve almost got my studio ready for the Open Weekend now. I spent most of yesterday finishing the tidying. All the paintings are now in place so today’s jobs include labelling everything, and then painting the last bit of the floor ….remembering to make sure I have my bag and coat by the door and not at the far end of the studio on the wrong side of the wet paint!

Anyway, it should be a very good Open Weekend as Stephanie has been doing a great job at co-ordinating everything this year ….so a big thanks to her for all her hard work. So then, I hope some of you can get along to the Courtyard studios this weekend and as a final reminder:

Open Studios Invitation 2014

Open Studios Invitation 2014

Posted in Courtyard Studios Open Weekend, Exhibitions, Harbour Arts Centre Tags: , , , , No Comments »

Getting ready for the: Courtyard Studios Open Weekend

Posted by admin on September 28th, 2014

Getting ready for the: Courtyard Studios Open Weekend, Saturday / Sunday 4th / 5th October 2014

I’m really busy at the moment getting everything arranged for my exhibition and drawing project starting at the end of November. As such, I decided a few days ago that instead of spending a whole week (as usual) getting the studio tidy and clean, ready for our annual Open Studios Weekend next Saturday and Sunday, I’d carry on working up until Wednesday evening and then have two mad, mad days rushing around getting everything ready.

Well, that was the plan. Yesterday however, it changed. I had a somewhat disruptive few hours and really wasn’t concentrating on the painting I was working on. This is always dangerous and it’s much better to stop working than to try and carry on ….and inevitably wreck the piece of work you’re doing. So, with several hours of the afternoon to go, I decided to start clearing all the stuff (boxes of pastels, tools, picture hanging cord, rolls of tape, boxes of nails, loose pieces of paper, old sketches……etc, etc , etc) off the top of my main table. This is always an onerous job as I only tackle it once a year…..yes; you’ve guessed it, the week before the Open Studios Weekend! Of course once I started it kind of created a chain reaction. Before I left the studio last night, my simple table-top tidying had already spread to moving paintings!

As you know, I’ve been working on three 120 x 120 cm canvases, two of which are finished and the third that still needs plenty of work. This final painting will have to be packed away in the large box the original canvas arrived in. The problem is that I was planning to do some more work on it today, leaving a surface of wet oil paint. In order to make sure that I’m not tempted to reach for the paint brush, I took the canvas off the wall yesterday and it’ll be boxed up today! So much for my plan to carry on painting until the middle of the week! That said, I do have several small acrylic and pastel paintings on the go and so may well get a day or two working on them. I’ll just have to remember not to pack away my acrylic paints.

This then is the run up to the Open Weekend. It’s always a bit crazy but thankfully this year Stephanie has taken on the job of organising the event and she is doing a great job. All I have to do is get my own space ready and myself down to the studio ready for an 11am start next Saturday morning. It should be a very good event this year with 14 out of the 17 artists taking part. This will mean a lot of very different work to see including all kinds of paintings and drawings, ceramics, jewellery, photography, hand book-binding and live music. Three of the artists will be running a workshop, talk or demonstration during the weekend…..check out the WASPS website for details. As usual the event is free to enter and everyone is welcome. We’re close to several very good bars, restaurants and cafes and the Magnum Sports Centre is just 2 minutes walk away ….so you can make a fine afternoon of it. Hopefully we’ll see some of you next weekend. Please spread the word. Thank you.

Courtyard Studios Open Weekend
Saturday 4th October, 11 am – 5 pm
Sunday 5th October, 12 noon – 5 pm

Courtyard Studios, 128 Harbour St, Irvine, Ayrshire, KA12 8PZ

Starting the pre Open Studios Weekend tidy-up!

Starting the pre Open Studios Weekend tidy-up!

-o-o-o-o-o-

Posted in Courtyard Studios Open Weekend, Exhibitions, Harbour Arts Centre, Irvine Tags: , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment »

Another day…..

Posted by admin on September 19th, 2014

It has become increasingly more difficult for me to see what I’m doing when I go to the polling booth on election days and so for yesterdays vote on independence, I decided to register for a postal vote.  As such, I voted about a week ago and so while record numbers of people went to the polling stations, I had a very normal day.

It was in short, very like many other working days for me and started with an hour or so doing jobs on the computer.  Being an artist isn’t just about splashing paint….. It’s also about doing all the things other businesses have to do ….in short, the paperwork!  As my sight has very slowly deteriorated, this side of my work has become more and more time consuming.  I’m currently writing this blog with the screen magnifier on 8x and the screen reader reading each word as I type it.   This is still quite quick but once I’m using email or the internet it gets much more difficult I find.  My morning sessions on this computer usually end up with me swearing at the thing as I make yet another mistake.  Yesterday however, things went quite calmly for once and I managed to place an order for new gift cards.  I’ve sold most of the ones I had printed a couple of years ago and suddenly realised I was down to the last card of one of the four designs…and that sold to a lady who visited the studio with her husband yesterday morning.  With our Open Studios Weekend looming it was time to get some new cards made.

 Once I’d checked my emails, ( and sent one off to the Harbour Arts Centre to arrange a meeting to discuss promoting my forthcoming exhibition) ….well, I’d had enough of this machine and  it was time to do some proper work and get down to the studio.  I grabbed a lift with Nita in the car down to town and then walked the half mile along the harbour side to the Courtyard Studios.  I had a chance to have a close look at the new entrance-way to the Maritime Museum yard.  They have somehow printed their sign directly onto the wall …and it looks very good.  Quite how they got it through the local council planning department I haven’t a clue …but well done to them, it’s quite impressive and I certainly enjoyed standing looking at it.

I arrived at my studio about 11am I guess to find several of my colleagues there working away with Alison and David both running classes I think.  I have to say that I’m not a quick starter when I arrive at work.  First job is always putting on the coffee maker ….one has to get ones priorities right!  Once that is bubbling and gurgling away I can relax, put my sign out and sit in my rocking chair looking at the work I did the previous day.  This usually lasts a good half hour and only then do I start work.   I have four main paintings on the go at the moment and with the paint still wet on the two large canvases, and the 80 x 80 cm acrylic and pastel piece almost finished, I decided I needed to get on with the new 122 cm x 61 cm painting I started about a week ago.  It’s still in its very early stages and is based on a view of Buachaille Etive Beag.  Unusually for me, the view point is from down low in the glen and the painting is in the more traditional “landscape” format.  The early stages of these big acrylic and pastel paintings are pretty methodical work.  I just slowly build up alternating layers of thin paint and pastel and this is quite time consuming.  It doesn’t need too much concentration though and so I often play music or listen to one of my talking books while painting or scribbling away.  Yesterday was just such a day but by the time I left in the early evening I’d got the piece to a reasonable state.  Today, when I get down there, I’ll have to start concentrating and the talking book will be turned off!

My immediate priorities now are to make sure I have a good selection of work ready for my exhibition at the Harbour Arts Centre starting on November 27th.  Of course, before that starts, we have our annual Open Studios Weekend at the Courtyard, on Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th October.  This actually involves a lot of work as I have to clear all the surfaces, move the tables and hang all the work ….and paint the floor again as it’s really messy now.  Some years I spend the whole of the week before the event getting the studio ready but this year I have so many other things to do that I may well carry on working until the end of Wednesday 1st October ….and then have two very mad days getting everything done!   If I go down this line I’ll be very tired at the end of it and visitors to my studio over the weekend will probably find me slumped in my rocking chair …oh well, nothing new there!

I left the studio at 7pm and went home to watch the gathering news from the referendum.

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The Biscuit Factory, Contemporary Art Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne

Posted by admin on September 6th, 2014

This is more of a picture blog; the purpose being to show images of the 10 pieces of work I’ll be exhibiting at the Autumn Exhibition in The Biscuit Factory in Newcastle upon Tyne. The preview is on Friday 12th September 2014 from 6 – 9pm.

I’ll be attending the event along with my partner Anita and I look forward to seeing you if by any chance you can make it along to the gallery that evening….all are welcome.  If not, you should be able to view the exhibition on their website soon.   Full details below:

 

'Below Clach Lethaidh, winter', Oil on canvas, 80 x 80 cm

‘Below Clach Lethaidh, winter’

'Below Suilven, a dreich afternoon', Acrylic & Pastel, 30 x 30 cm jpg

‘Below Suilven, a dreich afternoon’

'Crossing to Harris, a damp April evening', Acrylic & Pastel, 76 x 23 cm, RP £720

‘Crossing to Harris, a damp April evening’

'From Conival, May' Acrylic & Pastel 40 x 40 cm, RP £720

‘From Conival, May’

'Heavy down pour, Harris, May 2013', Acrylic & Pastel, 30 x 30 cm, RP £485

‘Heavy down pour, Harris, May 2013’

'January morning, Glen Rosa, Isle of Arran', Graphite on paper, 125 x 80 cm

‘January morning, Glen Rosa, Isle of Arran’

'Snow shower, Glen Rosa, Isle of Arran', Acrylic & Pastel, 80 x 80 cm

‘Snow shower, Glen Rosa, Isle of Arran’

268 'Sun and snow, in the Blackmount', Acrylic & Pastel, 2013, 30 x 30 cm

‘Sun and snow, in the Blackmount’

'Sun-lit slopes, Sgiath Chuil', Acrylic & Pastel, 30 x 30 cm

‘Sun-lit slopes, Sgiath Chuil’

'Towards the Mamores, a showery summers day', Acrylic & Pastel, 76 x 23 cm

‘Towards the Mamores, a showery summers day’

The Biscuit Factory, Contemporary Art Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne
Autumn Exhibition – 12th September – 15th November 2014

The Biscuit Factory
16 Stoddart St
Newcastle upon Tyne
Tyne and Wear NE2 1AN
Tel: 0191 261 1103
Email: art@thebiscuitfactory.com
Website: www.thebiscuitfactory.com

The exhibition runs until 15th November 2014 so I hope you can get along to see it.

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…..about the Courtyard Open Studios Weekend

Posted by admin on August 21st, 2014

Courtyard Studios, Irvine

Courtyard Studios, Irvine

I’ve been awake for the last few hours trying to decide what to do about this years Courtyard Studios Open Weekend.   As you probably know if you’ve been following the last 234 blogs, every year we have an Open Studios Weekend.  This always takes place on the first weekend of October…..this year, (our 12th such event I think) will be on Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th October.

The event was originally set up by WASPS back in 2002 I think, with each of their studio buildings taking part.  I’ve obviously only been involved with the Courtyard in Irvine but, over the years, we’ve slowly honed the event to meet our needs and it has generally been a very worth while thing to do, especially in terms of promoting the Courtyard as a venue for professional and quality arts in the region, and to some degree, as a means of creating opportunities and sales for the participating artists.

A successful event each year doesn’t however just happen, it takes a lot of hard work organising and promoting it. Over the years first with WASPS help and then more recently off our own backs, we’ve created something that people in the area know about and support ….in the last couple of years we’ve had close on 300 visitors through the door over each of the weekends……but as I say, it does take a lot of work.   In the past Anita and I have always taken an active part in helping to organise the event at the Courtyard and we’d said that we’d do the same again this year.  However, back in July WASPS announced that they were developing the event further  this year with plans for extra money for workshops, artists talks and promotion and that they’d be looking for an official ‘Open studios rep to co-ordinate things  this year.  This will involve a lot more work than normal for whoever does the job.

As you know, I have been busy recently getting paintings ready for The Biscuit Factory autumn exhibition and now that they’re away, I have to put most of my efforts into preparing for the big drawing event and exhibition that I’m holding at the Harbour Arts Centre starting on 27th November.  This is still three months away but there is a huge amount (both creative and organisational) to be done for it.  As such, I told those attending the Open Studios weekend meetings, that I’d not be able to take on the extra work now involved in being official rep for the event and asked that someone else volunteer to do  it this year.

Surprise, surprise however, just yesterday Anita and I received an email from WASPS asking what was happening re the Open Studios Weekend at the Courtyard and whether we were going to be co-ordinating things again this year and as such, act as reps for the event.   This is why I’ve been awake half the night!  I really can’t take on the extra work now involved this year and it would be great if one of my colleagues would pick up the reigns.  Here’s hoping…..!   Oh well, whatever happens, we’ll get there in the end and it will as usual be a great event, so make sure you put it down in your diary:

Courtyard Studios Open Weekend

Saturday 4th / Sunday 5th October 2014

Open: Saturday 11 am – 5pm, Sunday 12 noon – 5pm

Hope to see some of you there.

Posted in Courtyard Studios Open Weekend, Exhibitions, Harbour Arts Centre, Irvine Tags: , , , No Comments »

Ben Chonzie, Edinburgh and Newcastle ….not bad for one week

Posted by admin on August 17th, 2014

As the title of this blog implies, it’s been another busy week this week. As well as all the travelling, I’ve been doing quite a lot of painting too ….so all in all, a very good week.

Overlooking Loch Turret

Overlooking Loch Turret

When I visited Dan Thornton and David Feeney in Edinburgh back in May, they introduced me to Neil, a friend of theirs and over a pint or two in the pub that evening we got talking about hills and walking and by the end of the evening had agreed to meet up for a walk together sometime in the summer. Both being very busy, sometime turned out to be last Saturday and we decided that Loch Turret and Ben Chonzie would be a good spot being not too far for either of us to drive. As it turned out, we were very lucky with the choice of days as we picked the one fine day between several not so good ones.

On Ben Chonzie grass and more grass

On Ben Chonzie grass and more grass

We met at the Loch Turret dam and did a clockwise circuit of the loch taking in the Munro Ben Chonzie that rises beyond the far end. It makes a good walk and amazingly for an August Saturday we saw no one once we’d left the car park until we got close to the summit. There, Neil and Nita could see a big group of folk who we figured must have come up by the shorter more popular route. They however all started to make their way down as we arrived at the summit and we spent half an hour sat enjoying the big views and bright sunshine. The descent was pretty straight forward at first, down huge grass and moss covered slopes with views back across the more craggy face of the hill. But then came the steep section of heather, grass, moss, stones and broken crags ….much of it wet and slippery underfoot. I was OK for most of it ….using my tried and tested method of descending steep ground ….sitting down and lowering myself. One short section however required moving across the slope and I sure was glad of having two people to guide me. Nita went first; trying to point out where I should be placing my feet, while Neil followed behind keeping a firm grip on the back of my rucksack just in case I slipped! I have to say I was very glad once we’d got across this little section and were once again heading downhill towards easier ground. Anyway, it made for a bit of excitement before the lengthy walk back along the side of the loch. It was a very good day and I don’t think Neil was too put off by my snail’s pace and unorthodox methods of descent……he’s suggested we all meet up again in the autumn to visit his local Fife hills…..am looking forward to it.

....and a few rocks. Approaching the tricky section

….and a few rocks. Approaching the tricky section

Sunday was a day painting and Monday saw me catching the train over to Edinburgh to deliver a small painting for the Macmillan Art Exhibition at Bonhams on Queen Street. I was a little concerned whether I’d find it OK on my own but in the end it was simple and I even managed to avoid the new trams!

Back down to easier ground ....and the long hot walk back

Back down to easier ground ….and the long hot walk back

I was painting again on Tuesday and then I spent Wednesday packing the nine paintings and one big drawing for The Biscuit Factory autumn exhibition in Newcastle. We loaded the car with the work first thing Thursday and drove down to Newcastle, arriving at the gallery about half past one in the afternoon. It’s an amazing place and I’m really looking forward to having a proper look around when we return for the preview on September 12th. Yesterday however, it was just a case of deliver the work and then head straight back …….even so , it was seven o’clock before we final got home and put our feet up.

It’s been more painting today as well as sorting out the studio ready for a few visitors tomorrow. It’s the Irvine Harbourside Festival and so there should be a few extra visitors around. I think there will be a few other Courtyard artists open so hopefully it’ll be a successful day.

Posted in Exhibitions, Inspiring Mountain Walks, Mountain Photos Tags: , , , , , , , No Comments »

An interesting week

Posted by admin on July 19th, 2014
'Towards the Isle of Arran, winter'

Sold: ‘Towards the Isle of Arran, winter’

It can’t be a bad week when the first thing to report is that one of my paintings at the 2014 North Ayrshire Open Art Exhibition, sold on the preview evening last Friday.  It’s always so encouraging when someone buys one of your paintings, so a very big thank you to the lady and gentleman and I do hope that you enjoy having the piece.   The exhibition looks very good and if you haven’t already done so, I’d recommend a visit to the Racquet Hall in Eglinton Country Park, Kilwinning to see it.  It’s open daily from 10 am – 4 pm until Saturday 26th July 2014.

On Wednesday we held our first studio meeting to discuss the forthcoming Open Studios Weekend.  The event will take place on the first weekend in October and as usual there should be a very good selection of work to see.  We’re waiting to hear about WASPS plans for the event this year before I can confirm all the details and we have another meeting on 31st July when Michelle from WASPS head office in Glasgow is visiting the Courtyard to tell us all about their plans.  Watch this space!

'Below Clach Lethaidh, winter'

‘Below Clach Lethaidh, winter’

Work wise, I’ve had a good week this week, getting quite a lot done.  It’s quite important as I have to make the final selection of work for the autumn exhibition at the Biscuit Factory in Tyne and Wear.  I’ve been asked to provide 10 pieces of work of differing sizes and prices.  I always find this part very difficult and seem to change my mind about which pieces to include on a regular basis!  I am getting there though and three paintings have already been put aside for the show.  As well as the paintings I would like to include one of my new large graphite drawings.  This should work well with the other pieces and make quite a focal point for the work.  Oh well, I have a couple more weeks yet before having to make the final decision ….plenty of time to change my mind again! The exhibition opens in September so full details a little nearer the time.

Talking of a little nearer the time, I have three paintings going into a local exhibition at Tour House, Kilmaurs, near Kilmarnock.  The group exhibition will include work by 6 artists and the preview is on Sunday evening.  I’m really looking forward to the event especially so as Kilmaurs was the place we lived when we first moved to Ayrshire back in October 1998.

From the summit of Stuc a' Chroin

From the summit of Stuc a’ Chroin

Of course, of course, we couldn’t go a whole week without heading out for the hills again, especially so as Nita has been on annual leave for the last two weeks.  After our over heated walk up Beinn Each last week and our failure to get across from it to the Munro, Stuc a’ Chroin, we had another go at reaching its summit on Tuesday.  The weather was once again fine but less hot thankfully and we approached the hill from a different direction this time.  We started from Glen Artney at 08.20 and after a very long walk, reached the top at 13.35.  It was a magnificent walk and gave us great views back over to Beinn Each ….although I couldn’t thankfully see or hear the bug that took a dislike to us last week!   Stuc a’ Chroin really is a magnificent hill and we were lucky to have clear conditions and patchy bright sun as we sat at the top.  This was our 3rd attempt to climb it, so I have to admit I felt quite a sense of achievement.  We saw some magnificent colours during the walk and so I think I may well try and get something in the way of a painting out of this trip.

Well then, that’s about that for this week.  I’ll be down my studio tomorrow and Sunday as Nita has pulled the short straw and is working night shifts.  She’ll be exhausted for a couple of days so no thoughts of more walking until she’s recovered.

Oh yes, one final thing.  We have a new branch of Wetherspoon’s in Irvine.  It opened a couple of days ago and I’m really pleased to say that they have two of my pictures on the wall…… I haven’t had a chance to go in and see them yet, but once Nita has finished her night shifts I think we may well call in ……just to see the paintings I hasten to add …..nothing to do with the beer ……honest!

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