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Latest Blogs | Scottish Landscape Art - Scottish Landscape Paintings - Part 17

‘Snow, rock and water, Harris, May’

Posted by admin on May 10th, 2014
304 ' Snow, rock and water, Harris, May', Graphite on paper, 2013, 70 x 70 cm

‘Snow, rock and water, Harris, May’

 

‘Snow, rock and water, Harris, May’, Graphite on paper, 2013, 70 x 70 cm

I did this graphite drawing last year after our visit to the Isle of Harris. As the title of the drawing implies, the weather during our stay on the island was somewhat inclement…..mainly rain and gales, topped up with snow one day and some sun. It certainly made the streams very active and the idea for this drawing came after watching a stream full of melt water, tumble over a rocky outcrop. The patterns of the white water against the rock looked very similar to the patches of melting snow on the hills behind. I really liked this scene but hope that we’ll have a little less of the wet stuff when we head up to Assynt later in the month!

Art on the Hill

Posted by admin on May 10th, 2014
'Art on the Hill'

‘Art on the Hill’

Just a very short blog today as I’ve been very busy this week and am running late as usual!

I thought I’d use this space to plug the ‘Art on the Hill‘ exhibition which runs until 31st May and is open daily from 12 noon until 10pm. Artist and exhibition organiser Peter Gillies kindly invited me to take part in this big exhibition that includes work by around 80 artists and makers.

The exhibition is in the upper level of the Church on the Hill in Battlefield, Queens Park, Glasgow. This is a really magnificent building and the space is just huge ….it really is very impressive.

‘Art on the Hill’ is part of the Southside Fringe Festival, so do check out what else is going on throughout the month.

Full details:

www.glasgowartfairscotland.co.uk

I have three of my paintings in the exhibition…..hope you can get to see the show.

'Art on the Hill'

‘Art on the Hill’

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‘From Conival, May’

Posted by admin on May 2nd, 2014
297 'From Conival, May' Acrylic & Pastel, 2013, 40 x 40 cm

‘From Conival, May’

‘From Conival, May’ Acrylic & Pastel, 2013, 40 x 40 cm

This painting has been in my mind this week as I’m using the image of it for an advert I’m placing in the 2014 Ayrshire & Arran Visitor Guide.   I think this is quite a strong painting and it is definitely a bold image.  Of course, it’s based on a view we had a number of years ago when we walked Conival in Assynt and I’m already thinking that a return visit to this fine peak, might be good when we go back to Assynt again in a few weeks time.

Anyway, I hope you like this piece.  It’s currently away but should be back in the studio by the end of the month.

Landscape mimics painting?!

Posted by admin on May 2nd, 2014
My two hill guides, Nita and Guy ....wouldn't be on the hills without them!

My two hill guides, Nita and Guy ….wouldn’t be on the hills without them!

As you know, for many years my interest in painting and hill-walking were kept well apart.  My work was based around man-made environments, building sites; townscapes etc and the days spent in the hills were just for fun.   When I moved to Scotland in 1998 however, things started to change.  After attending a very successful mountain skills course for visually impaired people at Glenmore Lodge in 2001, I met up with Guy Hansford (one of the fully sighted volunteer guides on the course) and with his help and that of the folk in our local mountaineering club Air na Creagan, we started tackling more serious hills and getting out into the wilds on a very regular basis.  In February 2002, Guy and I joined 11 members of Air na Creagan on a weekend trip to Corrour and on the Saturday we headed into the hills on a day that was to change my work as an artist.  We experienced a ‘proper’ Scottish hill day …..one that included all four seasons in just a few hours, from patchy sunshine and heavy clouds, to driving snow and back to almost cloudless skies and bright sunshine.  At the end of the day I realised that I just had to start using all these amazing views and scenes as the basis for my paintings …..the rest, as they say….. .   Now, when I’m out walking I’m constantly looking for things that I might be able to use in my paintings.  Hill-walking is not just for fun now …it’s work too!  It’s a tough job but somebody has to do it!

Anyway, you’ve heard all that before, but on Tuesday, we once again joined forces with our friend Guy and headed up to Ben Lomond for a leisurely wander together.  We had picked another perfect day and the misty atmospheric conditions as we started, quickly cleared and by lunchtime we had bright sunshine .  Our walk took us up the normal ‘tourist’ route until we reached  the long almost flat section at around 600m.  It had been a great ascent and we heard lots of different birds as we passed through the lower now partially wooded sections …including a very active woodpecker somewhere close by… ..it was really wonderful.

Landscape mimics painting?!

Landscape mimics painting?!

From the 600m mark though, we left the main path with its walkers making their way to the summit, and instead, cut off down the side of the hill to reach a perfectly quiet and secluded spot by the stream that flows from between the main bulk of Ben Lomond and the Ptarmigan ridge.  This was the perfect lunch spot and being out of the breeze, it was really quite hot too.  A short way further on and we picked up the Ptarmigan path which we followed back to our starting point.  The views out over Loch Lomond from this path are wonderful and on Tuesday the loch was almost completely calm, reflecting the big clouds and skies.  As we looked down I suddenly noticed that  I was looking at something that quite closely resembled the new large 120 x 120 cm canvas I’m working on…….it was quite strange to see!

‘Towards the Isle of Arran, winter’

Posted by admin on April 25th, 2014
316 'Towards the Isle of Arran, winter', Acrylic & Pastel, 2014, 76 x 23 cm

‘Towards the Isle of Arran, winter’

‘Towards the Isle of Arran, winter’, Acrylic & Pastel, 2014, 76 x 23 cm

I finished this painting about a month ago and yesterday my partner Anita put it into a frame.  It’s always good seeing something finally framed and up on the wall and I’m quite pleased with this piece.

I’ve been asked so many times over the years whether I’d painted the view across the water to Arran, but in the past had always been interested in view points that were up in the hills.  I finally gave in to demand and this is what I came up with.  It’s the kind of view I get when I look towards the Isle of Arran from the mouth of the River Irvine near to my studio ….but looking through my monocular.

As I say, the painting is now up on my studio wall and can be viewed any time I’m working there.  As it’s the 2014 Open Studio Ayrshire event this weekend (Sat / Sun 26 / 27th April) why not call in to see it as part of your studio trail this weekend?  There are 47 venues open throughout Ayrshire ….more details: www.openstudiosayrshire.com

Stretching the legs…..

Posted by admin on April 25th, 2014

As you will have noticed, there has been a slight blip on the blog front recently….. that can be put for the most part down to a troublesome computer.   Anyway, I’m back in business now, so, at long last….. a blog.

On Carn Chreag

On Carn Chreag

As I look out of the window now, it’s a grey overcast scene, but for the most of the last week, ten days, it’s been really good weather here in the west of Scotland….. and I’ve been making the most of it.  Being both school and bank holidays, there have been a lot of people down on the harbour side here in Irvine and so it’s been important that I’ve been at my studio.  I’ve certainly had a lot of visitors which has been good and as this has been the run up to the Open Studios Ayrshire event this year, it’s been a good way of promoting that too.  Of course, having my studio open to the public is nothing out of the ordinary for me …when I’m working, the door is always open and visitors are always welcome to call in and see what work is on the go.  However, taking part in an official Open Studios event like this, is very good publicity for me  and I’ve been delighted to get involved and be one of the 47 studios open in Ayrshire over this coming weekend Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th April.  It should be a good event and of course, for many folk it’s the only time of the year when they open the studio door.   If you’re not doing anything else this weekend why not visit some of the many artists and craftspeople taking part this year.  You can find full details by visiting: www.openstudiosayrshire.com .

From the summit of Beinn nam Fuaran

From the summit of Beinn nam Fuaran

But, fine weather is not just about working and being in my studio.  I just had to get out in the hills and we managed three walks in just eight days …which was pretty good for us.   We’d started out by taking a day in the Pentland Hills near Edinburgh, (see my last blog), then a very gentle wander up Meall Odhar near Tyndrum last Tuesday.  Finally with the forecast set for almost cloudless skies, we decided we’d have to do a longer walk on the Friday.   I’ve wanted to reach the top of Beinn nam Fuaran, a steep grassy hill that rises to just over 800m but is somewhat tucked out of the way.  In the guidebooks they suggest it can be walked as part of a big circular day taking in five hills in total but I’ve always felt that this would just be a slog with no time to enjoy your surroundings.  So then, over the years we’ve visited these hills individually or in pairs, but Beinn nam Fuaran has always been a little out of reach.  This time however, I was determined to reach its summit…..but not before a good breakfast!

We timed our drive north so that we arrived at the Green Welly in Tyndrum just as they opened their doors at 08.30 and were second in line for coffee and bacon roll.  They really do make an exceedingly fine and well filled bacon roll at the Green Welly.   A five minute drive back down the road took us to a small car park just off the main road on the line of the West Highland Way.  As the crow flies, it’s just over 9km from the car park to the summit of Beinn nam Fuaran but there’s quite a bit of ascent and descent in between.

The air that day was really clear despite the bright sun and the big hills with their splattering of snow, looked especially fine. Streams rushed down the hillsides, full and busy from the melting snow above …it was really quite idyllic.  We did pass a few people on the long crossing between Carn Chreag and Beinn nam Fuaran ….but they had their heads down and were I think doing the five hills in a oner …..best of luck to them …we were going much slower!

We had to descend to about 400 m before the steep pull up to the summit of Beinn nam Fuaran which we reached just before 15.00.  It was well worth the effort, (even the cramping legs on the last hundred feet up the hill).  The views were really big and there was no noise except for the wind, an occasional passing insect and the call of a Raven circling overhead.

Below Ben Challum ....evening light

Below Ben Challum ….evening light

In all honesty we were running a bit late and there was the definite possibility of us finishing our walk in the dark …but what the heck.  As it turned out, we got back to the car about 20.45 and there was still plenty of light.  We even made it back to Tyndrum in time to get some chips and coffees before the chippy closed …so what more can you ask?!  What a day….

Staggering around in the dark!

Posted by admin on April 15th, 2014

I sometimes forget just how little I can see ….until that is my PC crashes and I have to try and use this laptop.  It’s not that it’s actually any more difficult to use, it’s just that its different.  The  answer to being visually impaired I think, is routine.  When suddenly what you’re used to is unavailable, things get a whole lot more challenging ….and more importantly, when you’re running a business, time consuming.  You know what they say about time being money ?  As my sight has got worse over the years, small problems with the computer become large ones and I seem to spend more of my time working on the computer than I do on the paintings……or it certainly seems like that!  As an example of this ….I’ve now spent almost an hour and a half just getting this laptop booted up and getting to this point.  Ahhhhh! 

Anyway, I’ll stop my moaning and get on with the blog ….which is far from staggering around in the dark ….it’s about the opposite in fact …..it’s about wandering over the fine little tops of the Pentland Hills the other day.   Our last walk, in the snow around Loch Ossian the other week, was great but we really needed to get a few metres of ascent and descent into our legs this time.  As usual we were looking to follow the best weather and after changing our plans at the last minute, we decided to head over to the east and enjoy our annual visit to the Pentlands.  These hills are not huge in any way but there is a bit of ascent and descent between each one so at the end of the day you feel like you’ve had a good walk.

From Turnhouse Hill

From Turnhouse Hill

The forecast seemed to get it right as after a very wet drive over from Irvine, as we neared the hills, the cloud broke and the sun started to come out.  By the time we’d got the boots on it was looking really good.  At the point where the path starts heading up towards Turnhouse Hill, it takes a small footbridge over a stream and as we crossed, Nita spotted a Dipper sitting on a rock not far away.  It was great as with a few directions I managed to find it with my monocular.   From this point, the path climbs at first gently and then more steeply to reach the top of Turnhouse Hill.  It’s a fabulous view point and I guess, needs to be as by this time the legs are complaining somewhat!   The big views however, continued for the rest of the day as we wandered along the ridge.  Nita could see the two bridges over the Firth of Forth, as well as  Edinburgh airport with the planes coming and going.  It’s quite strange to be up in the hills and yet so close to a city.

Our original plans had  simply been to walk along the ridge to West Kip before descending into the glen and walking back along the single track road  past the two reservoirs.  However, as we approached the summit of Scald Law, (the highest point in this group of hills) I remembered South Black Hill ….a top that rises to the south west of Scald Law and somewhere we’d never been to before.  It seemed well worth a detour and being to the south of the main line of hills, gave some wonderfully different views.  It was about at this point that Nita suggested that instead of walking back along the road in the glen, we go back the way we’d come ….thus giving us a few more metres of ascent and descent.  It seemed like a good idea and made a great little day.  As we got back to the wee footbridge we were given a quick fly-by from the Dipper and on walking the final few hundred metres through the woods to the car park …we were treated to the sound of a woodpecker on one of the trees….what a great way to finish a day.

When I feel like I’m staggering around in the dark using the computer, I just have to remind myself of all the hills I walk and the paintings I paint!

Working drawing – Glen Rosa, Isle of Arran

Posted by admin on April 4th, 2014
1 Working drawing, Glen Rosa

Working drawing, Glen Rosa. Isle of Arran

Working drawing – Glen Rosa, Isle of Arran 

As you already know, I’m planning to create a large 4 m long drawing during my exhibition at the Harbour Arts Centre in November / December this year.  The drawing will be about walking up Glen Rosa on the Isle of Arran.   I’ve walked this glen many times and have been over there once again this year to do sketches and take photographs……another trip there is due shortly.  I’ve started working on ideas for how to do the big drawing, playing around with different types of mark and composition.  This drawing is one of the latest although I’ve actually played around with the image on my computer to end up with this.

I’m really not sure how the big drawing will look when completed but I’m enjoying these early stages of working rough ideas through and trying them out.

Working on a larger scale

Posted by admin on April 4th, 2014
Work in progress, 120 x 120 cm

Work in progress, 120 x 120 cm

One of my colleagues at the Courtyard Studios, Margaret Carslaw, nearly always works on a large scale.  Her drawings and paintings are rarely smaller than 120 x 120 cm and usually bigger.  As someone who generally works on pieces that are less than a metre square, I’ve always found it fascinating seeing Margaret’s large paintings and watching how she approaches them.  Over the years we’ve had many discussions about our work and she’s tried to persuade me of the merits of working on a large scale while I’ve been trying to persuade her that it’s just as challenging working on something small!  I guess when it comes down to it, we’re probably both right but I’ve certainly found myself drifting towards creating larger work.

Of course, all the creative bumf aside, there is a practical side to this which if you want to exhibit and sell work, does come into it ……..the simple question of how to transport large works.  When we changed vehicles back in 2010 we had originally thought of getting a small van instead of a car.  It seemed to make sense except for the fact that we occasionally need to carry passengers…..apart from the legality or otherwise of it, we didn’t think our friend Guy would enjoy sitting on the floor bouncing around in the back of a van all the way to Glencoe and back and Nita’s parents on their annual visit certainly wouldn’t enjoy the experience either, even if it was just to go down to the Harbourside!  So then, Nita spent many hours pawing through the ‘What car’ magazines before finally coming up with a Citroen Nemo …..a boxy thing that would take a lot of paintings up to a metre wide and a vehicle that was very economic too.  It’s been a very good compromise and I can fit a lot of this smaller sized work in it when I need to and Guy and Nita’s parents can ride in it comfortably.

As I say though, I’ve gradually been moving towards doing larger work and decided last year that I had, in the exhibition / drawing project arranged for Nov / Dec at the our neighbouring Harbour Arts Centre, an excuse to do a couple of larger paintings …..it’s less than 100 metres from the Courtyard to the HAC so no vehicles needed to transport the work ….I can simply carry the paintings across.   I bought what for me is quite a large canvas ….120 x 120 cm back before Christmas and started work on it almost straight away.

It’s been a really good experience and I decided from the outset that I’d try using my father’s big old horse hair house painting brush on this painting.  I want it to be quite bold as well as quite textural.  The brush is at least six inches wide and the course hairs leave wonderful marks in the thick oil paint.   Four months on from starting it, the painting is still in progress but starting to come together now. I’ve been spending a day on it and then letting the paint dry for a few days so that I can build up overlapping layers of colour and mark.  The painting is a reworking of an idea I had back in 2008 but which at the time I did on a much smaller scale and in a landscape format.   I want the painting to be as much about the colour, composition and texture as about the landscape…..but as usual will try to create a balance between the two.

Anyway, with this piece well under way, I’ve just made a note to order another 120 x 120 cm canvas as well as something around 120 x 40 cm ……this to create something based on the wild snow covered landscape that we experienced around Corrour the other week.  Margaret may well be winning the battle of wills…..I seem to be getting hooked on doing bigger work!  And what about my transportation argument I hear you shout?  Well, just last week a lady visited my studio who is planning to set up a small business in the area transporting artwork in a large van she owns.  She’s a painter herself…..so if she gets set up, transporting the occasional large canvas may not be so problematic…..that’s my excuse anyway!

‘Towards Glen Coe, late afternoon, January’

Posted by admin on March 29th, 2014
313s 'Towards Glen Coe, late afternoon, January', Acrylic & Pastel, 2014, 80 x 80 cm

‘Towards Glen Coe, late afternoon, January’

‘Towards Glen Coe, late afternoon, January’, Acrylic & Pastel, 2014, 80 x 80 cm

This is the latest 80 x 80 cm acrylic and pastel painting I’ve completed. It’s based on the view looking towards Glencoe on a very cold January afternoon. We’d had a short but enjoyable walk in deep snow up the Devil’s Staircase but the snow was too bad to venture up on the tops as we’d planned and so we’d retreated and were heading home. It was a long way to drive for such a short walk but that’s the way it goes sometimes and at least I got a painting out of it!

The painting is currently hanging in my studio at the Courtyard Studios in Irvine so if you’re in the area, do call in to see it. I’ll be in the studio this weekend from 12 noon until 19.30 both days.

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    E-mail: keith@keithsalmon.org