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Latest Blogs | Scottish Landscape Art - Scottish Landscape Paintings - Part 24

Cloud watching – from Mam na Gualainn

Posted by admin on August 2nd, 2013
Layers of cloud from near the summit of Mam na Gualainn

Layers of cloud from near the summit of Mam na Gualainn

Being held up by road works and a red traffic light can be a little frustrating at times, – but not when you’ve been stopped by a traffic light in Glencoe …..as we were at about quarter past eight on Wednesday morning. It was one of those works where they run a convoy system and as we’d just missed the previous convoy, there was going to be a bit of a delay and so Nita turned the engine off. The mountains rose all around us with wisps and heavier banks of cloud drifting at different levels, breaking around the dramatic rocky peaks. As I opened the window to get a better view, we heard the distinctive calls of eagles and Nita and Guy said they could see three of these huge birds high above us. It was a great way to start our day and the convoy vehicle returned almost too soon and we had to leave the birds and these magnificent mountains behind ….but not too far behind.

From Mam na Gualainn

From Mam na Gualainn

We were headed for Mam na Gualainn, a 796 m hill set in a fine location on the north side of the fjord like sea loch, Loch Leven. Nita and I had first walked this hill back in 2005 and had been so impressed with the views from its high grassy ridge that we always said we’d return dragging our friend Guy with us…..he’s not a Munro bagger, but someone who simply appreciate a fine hill in a fine location….regardless of its size or stature. We thought he’d appreciate this one. Have to admit though, that it took a little longer to get back there than we’d originally planned!

Wild flowers on the slopes of Mam na Gualainn

Wild flowers on the slopes of Mam na Gualainn

The views we had on Wednesday from Mam na Gualainn, were spectacular, made even more so by an almost continuous flow of very low cloud drifting in from the west and breaking around and over the big hills of Glencoe to the immediate south of us and the high tops and ridges of the Mamores to the north. We had a constantly changing view all around, sometimes with peaks sticking out above the mists and at other times, the mountains almost completely clearing or disappearing. As we sat eating our lunch at the summit, the cloud rolled up the glen to the north of us, engulfing the West Highland Way far below, and then after another ten minutes engulfing us too. For a while it became very dark and we reached for waterproofs and maps but within half an hour it all passed and we were still dry and back to watching the mountains around us coming and going again.

On the steep slopes of Mam na Gualainn

On the steep slopes of Mam na Gualainn

I often say to visitors to my studio, that the best days on the hill are often not the perfect bright sunny days, but the days where the conditions are constantly changing. These kinds of day with the ever changing light and colours make a great location even greater and provide me with lots of ideas for paintings and drawings. Quite what will come out of Wednesdays trip to Mam na Gualainn, ….well, we’ll just have to wait and see…..but our nine hours of cloud watching have certainly got me reaching for the graphite pencils again and I’m tempted to try and do some new large drawings while the memories are fresh in my mind.

Cloud arriving ...the summit of Mam na Gualainn

Cloud arriving …the summit of Mam na Gualainn

Heavy skies above Mam na Gualainn

Heavy skies above Mam na Gualainn

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‘Crossing to Harris, a damp April evening’

Posted by admin on August 2nd, 2013
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‘Crossing to Harris, a damp April evening’

‘Crossing to Harris, a damp April evening’, Acrylic & Pastel, 2013, 76 x 23 cm

I’ve just finished this painting and it’s the first time I’ve tried to paint a scene based on the sea.  As you’ll probably remember, we travelled over to the Isle of Harris earlier this year for a couple of weeks of walking and relaxing.  We caught the evening ferry from Uig on the Isle of Skye and sat watching the grey waters go by while looking through the mist and spray for the isles to appear.  I’ve already completed a couple of large graphite drawings based on this scene but wanted to try and capture something of it in paint.

I’m planning on taking this piece to the framer on Monday and may well give it an airing in my forth coming exhibition at Blairmore Gallery near Dunoon ….opens Tuesday 27th August and runs until Saturday 5th October.  More information about this exhibition shortly.

‘Winter, Ben Oss’

Posted by admin on July 27th, 2013
'Winter, Ben Oss'

‘Winter, Ben Oss’

‘Winter, Ben Oss’, Acrylic & Pastel, 2007, 76 x 23 cm

I thought this painting would fit in well with my blog this week.  It was one of the early 76 x 23 cm paintings and was very much about trying to work out how to create a satisfactory composition in this rather stretched format.  I think this one worked quite well and I certainly like the colours and the combination of pastel and painted marks.

From a little laziness…!

Posted by admin on July 27th, 2013
'Descending from Ben Oss'

‘Descending from Ben Oss’
(SOLD)

We had another fine day here in Irvine yesterday with mainly bright skies and a pleasant breeze.  It certainly seemed to bring folk out and down to the harbour side and that meant that we had a good number of visitors to the Courtyard during the day.

It’s amazing quite how often I’m asked about the long thin, (76 x 23 cm) paintings and this question was raised once again by one of the visitors yesterday.  People realise that these paintings are not in a standard format, say, three by one or four by one and can’t quite figure out why I chose 76 x 23 cm as the size for a painting.

I would like to be able to answer that it was all worked out with a fiendishly clever formula I’d come up with, based on mathematics and aesthetics …….but dream on Salmon, in reality it all came down to some heavy rain, a dislike of getting wet and in short ….laziness on my part!

I’d been working, as usual, on two or three different paintings but by mid afternoon had ground to a complete halt on each.  I was having one of those days where every bit of paint I mixed was the wrong colour and if I did get that right, then I put it down in the wrong place.  In short, all of these paintings were looking dreadful and it seemed like it was either time to give up for the day, or to start a completely new painting.  One of my ‘better’ traits is being rather stubborn and on this occasion I really wasn’t going to be beaten by a stupid bit of paint …..I was going to start a completely new painting and this time get it right.

The only trouble was, that on going to where I kept my painting boards, I found I’d run out.  Nothing for it ….I’d just have to walk the mile up to Homebase and get some more wood cut…….only to realise that it had just started to rain really hard.  When I’m on the hill and have all my waterproof gear, then I’m quite happy about a little rain, but getting soaked walking to and from Homebase  with no waterproofs to wear …well, forget it, I’m far to lazy for that kind of sacrifice!  Still not wanting to admit defeat on the painting front, I started poking around behind my work bench and suddenly found a few lengths of board that had been off-cuts…..and yes, you’ve got it, one of these was by chance, 76 x 23 cm.

This must have been a very good day for me because, seeking as I was, to do something different from the three failed paintings I’d been working on, I finally took the plunge with this new strangely sized painting and combined the pastel scribbles of my drawings, with the broader marks of my paintings.  The result was very pleasing and has led to much of what I now do.  That particular painting also went into an exhibition in a gallery on the Isle of Arran and was bought by a couple on their holiday from Manchester……and a year or so later; they commissioned me to create the biggest painting I’ve ever done!

I’m sure some of you will have heard this story from me before, but, if you, like me, have a slightly lazy side to your character, go with it sometimes, occasionally it can work out for the best!

‘From the east ridge of Beinn Lui, April’

Posted by admin on July 19th, 2013
275 'From the east ridge of Beinn Lui, April', Acrylic & Pastel, 2013, 30 x 30 cm

‘From the east ridge of Beinn Lui, April’,

‘From the east ridge of Beinn Lui, April’, Acrylic & Pastel, 2013, 30 x 30 cm

This little painting, originally shown in the exhibition in March at ‘the gallery on the corner’, is one of my favourites and as such, I’ll be including it in the exhibition at Blairmore Gallery in a few weeks time. 

I often say to people that I think my best pieces are ones that are at the same time, Scottish landscape and abstract.  This little painting based on a day we had on Ben Lui, seems to me to fit this category.  Details of the Blairmore Gallery and my forthcoming exhibition can be found by following the link to the Blairmore Gallery website at the side of this page.

Getting the work together

Posted by admin on July 19th, 2013
Work in progress ....much to do!

Work in progress ….much to do!

It’s been another week of work and walking although with the emphasis definitely on the work! As you know I’ve been trying to get some new small pieces finished ready for my exhibition at Blairmore Gallery. Well, after much looking and moving work around in the studio, I’ve decided that I now have enough work for the show and have decided on which pieces I’ll be taking …..give or take one or two that is! In all honesty I’ll probably change my mind as to the exact selection, but I have a pretty reasonable idea now. The gallery isn’t very big so I’ll probably take around 17 pieces including one large piece …either an 80 x 80 cm painting or one of the new large graphite drawings. The other pieces will comprise around 10 of the 30 x 30 cm paintings, 3 of the 76 x 23 cm paintings and several small post card size drawings. I think it should make for quite a strong little show and it’ll be nice to see it all up on the wall together in about four weeks time. …..hopefully the visitors to the gallery and café will think so too!

I’m now turning my thought’s to the work I’ll need for the exhibition with Jürgen Fischer in the autumn. The dates still haven’t been confirmed yet, which is a little worrying and it’s also difficult to know exactly how much work I’ll need ….and when I’ll need it. I’m planning to show a series of the new large graphite drawings as I think they’ll work very well with Jürgen’s very dark linear sculptures. I’m reckoning on needing between 8 and 10 of these large drawings and so have got back to the drawing board again this week. When I’m working on paintings, I usually have three or four on the go at any one time and if I encounter a problem with one, simply put it aside and start work again on another. It’s a bit different with the large drawings as I only have one large drawing board and it’s not easy to keep changing the paper over ….it would certainly increase the risk of damaging a piece. As such I have to work on the same drawing from start to finish …and if I have problems …just sit and stare at it until I work out what I need to do ….it could mean I’ll be spending a lot of time sat in my rocking chair over the next few weeks!

Finally, just to say that there may not be a blog next week as John, the chap who does all the administration on my website is away for a short while. I will however, be putting extra posts up on my Face Book page, Keith Salmon – Scottish Landscape Artist. ……so if you haven’t already done so, why not check that out. There are regular views from inside the studio and of work in progress, as well as photos from the walks we do…….even though I say it myself, it’s worth a visit!

‘Snow, rock and water, Harris, May 2013’

Posted by admin on July 13th, 2013
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‘Snow, rock and water, Harris, May 2013’

 ‘Snow, rock and water, Harris, May 2013’, Graphite on paper, 2013, 80 x 80 cm

 

I’m delighted to say that this new graphite drawing has been included in this years ‘North Ayrshire Open Art Exhibition’.  The exhibition preview is tonight and the show then runs for two weeks;

North Ayrshire Open Art Exhibition 2013
Racquet Hall
Eglinton Country Park
Kilwinning
Ayrshire

Open to the public
Saturday 13 July – Saturday 27 July 2013
Open: 10 am – 4 pm
I hope you can get along to see this year’s exhibition.

 

Eglinton Country Park

Eglinton Country Park

Long hot days

Posted by admin on July 13th, 2013
Heading for Creag Mhor...just 12 hours to go!

Heading for Creag Mhor…just 12 hours to go!

When you get a week of really fine weather, you just have to try and make the most of it.  For some that might be having a barbecue or going to the beach but for Nita and me, it’s all about wandering over the hills and using the long day light hours to the full.   We would normally only get out once in a week but with the forecast so good we decided to try and get two walks in instead.  Taking both of our work commitments into consideration we basically had two possible days to get out, Sunday and Tuesday.  Sunday and Wednesday would have been perfect, giving us two days to recover in between walks rather than just one ….but what the heck, you can’t have everything!  So then, Sunday to Glen Lochy and Creag Mhor, Tuesday up to Glen Shee and the possibility of walking a lengthy route over four tops.

An early start required for both days and Sunday dawned …..thick grey heavy cloud and drizzle ….everything in the garden was dripping wet when I let the cat out after his breakfast at just after four o’clock!  Where was the promised heat wave?!  In all honesty though, the MWIS forecasts had predicted these conditions for the west coast and Central Belt but it was still a shock …never good setting out in the rain in the hope of better things to come.

Cotton grass, Glen Lochy

Cotton grass, Glen Lochy

But of course, they did.  By the time we were driving up the side of Loch Lomond the cloud was breaking and had all but gone as we arrived in Glen Lochy …it was after all, going to be a baking hot day.  Dripping, not with drizzle but factor 50+, we headed off on the long walk up the glen to the base of Creag Mhor.

Into Glen Lochy from the top of the steep!

Into Glen Lochy from the top of the steep!

The previous time we’d been to Glen Lochy we’d been very lax with our navigation ….and in fine weather had ended up trying to get up the hill by the wrong ridge ….and were turned back by some very impressive crags.  This time we were going to keep our eyes on the map and make sure we were on the correct ridge. Even so, we had an interesting time getting through the crags on this ridge.  We eventually got to the end of the ridge via a rather steep and unpleasant gully, me swearing rather too much as I groped around in my fuzzy world for good hand and foot holds amongst the very steep turf, heather and rocks.  Nita was fine of course, clambering up with my walking poles in one hand and offering cheery ‘its fine, you’re fine’ comments to give me confidence …and try to assure me that she wasn’t really trying to kill me!  We hauled up onto the broad grassy ridge to see a fine view of Creag Mhor ahead and much to my relief, a very easy descent route for later!  We arrived at the summit of Creag Mhor at about half past three and all the effort was well worth while …big hazy views all around …absolutely stunning.

At last ....almost at the top of Creag Mhor

At last ….almost at the top of Creag Mhor

Having taken six hours to get to the summit, it was going to be a very long day.  After the excitement of the gully earlier in the day, our descent to the track in the glen, was a doddle ….and very beautiful too, but as we’d come down on the west side of the hill, we’d have even further to walk back. With very little breeze now, it was a hot slog back to the car, arriving there just a few minutes over twelve hours after setting out.  At that point we were both asking ourselves whether we’d be up for another long day in the heat on Tuesday.

View of the day!

View of the day!

The answer in short, was ‘yes’, but in even hotter conditions than on Sunday, we quickly down graded our plans and decided instead to do a shorter walk with plenty of stops.  It was a good decision as it was just so hot with just an occasional breeze.  It turned out a perfect walk….the high-light for me being a short detour to see the wonderful Loch Kander, tucked away in a dramatic and impressive corrie at the far side of Carn an Tuirc.  We sat perched on the edge of this steep corrie and just enjoyed the peace and quiet…… perfect, much better than what would have been a forced march if we’d tried to complete our original route.  This time we were back at the car about half past five …and back in Irvine while it was still light …..very civilised indeed.

The perfect lunch spot ..above Loch Kander, the Glen Shee Hills

The perfect lunch spot ..above Loch Kander, the Glen Shee Hills

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‘Low tide, Harris’

Posted by admin on July 5th, 2013
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‘Low tide, Harris’

‘Low tide, Harris’, Acrylic & Pastel, 2013, 30 x 30 cm

Much of my work over the last ten years has been based on the walks we do up into the mountains and glens.  Indeed, many of the view points in my paintings can only be reached by walking up high and looking down.

For some time now however, I’ve wanted to do some pieces based on the Scottish coast-line but in all honesty I’ve been fighting shy of it …not quite sure how to approach the subject.  The trip over to Harris, in some ways, forced me into it.  The weather was pretty bad much of the time and we didn’t venture too high.  Instead, on several days, we explored the fabulous Harris coast-line with its amazing west coast beaches.

This small painting is based on one of the sandy inlets we stopped by on a rather damp afternoon.  I can’t remember the name of the spot but it was wonderfully quiet and very beautiful.

This painting is one of four new pieces I’ll be taking to ‘the gallery on the corner’ sometime in the next couple of weeks …..so if you live in Edinburgh or are visiting the city, why not pop along to see it.   It will be at ‘the gallery on the corner’, 34 Northumberland St, Edinburgh from Tuesday 14th July.  Details of this gallery can be found at the side of this page.

A working week

Posted by admin on July 5th, 2013
New framed drawing

New framed drawing

It’s been a fairly quiet week this week, but one during which I’ve got quite a lot of work done. Nita was working night shifts last Saturday and Sunday and has been working twelve and a half hour day shifts Thursday and Friday ….leaving very few opportunities to get back onto the hills. Tuesday really was the only day but this turned out to be very wet and windy. Although a few years ago we’d have gone out anyway, these days we prefer to wait for slightly better weather. With Nita working part time now and me being self employed it means that we generally have far more opportunities to get out and so don’t have to go when it’s bad. It’s also a question for me, of getting my priorities right. The walks are very important to the works I do and as I don’t, generally get that much out of walking along for eight hours in cloud and rain, it makes a lot more sense to stay in the studio and paint when the weather is really grim.

I’ve been continuing to work on the new small paintings for my exhibition at Blairmore Gallery near Dunoon. The work has gone well and I now have four 30 x 30 cm paintings completed and one new 76 x 23 cm piece too. I’ve also started two more 30 x 30 cm pieces and have plans for another two also. The space at Blairmore isn’t vast but in the past when I’ve held exhibitions there I’ve usually included around 17 or 18 pieces including one of the larger paintings or drawings. This year I’m also working on several new small line drawings, (postcard size) and may well include 2 or 3 of these. It’s always about this time ahead of a show that I start to get an idea of what work will be included and an idea in my head of what it will look like. Anyway, I’ve still got 5 weeks so plenty of time to change my mind over and over again ….needless to say, this drives Nita to despair!

New Glen Rosa drawing framed

New Glen Rosa drawing framed

It’s that time of year again and tomorrow we’ll be delivering the two works for the North Ayrshire Open Art Exhibition. As the works to be hung are chosen by a selection panel, you always have an agonising few day wait to see if your own pieces have made it into the show ….a list of selected works is posted on-line later in the week ….it’s all quite exciting. The best thing to do is to try and forget about it ….and keep your fingers crossed! This year, for a change, I’m entering two of my graphite drawings, rather than paintings. I got them back from the framers the other week and have had a chance to see them in the studio for a short while. Hopefully there will be a good response to them but you can never tell ….they may be rejected ….there’s a lot of competition out there and there are always a lot of entries. Full details about how I get on, in next weeks blog.

Our next opportunities to get out on the hills will be from Sunday to Thursday and we’re hoping to make a trip either over to Glen Shee or to Glen Lochy to walk Creag Mhor. We also have to try and fit in a quick trip over to ‘the gallery on the corner’ in Edinburgh as I have some new work for them…..looks like being a busy busy week ahead.

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    E-mail: keith@keithsalmon.org