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Latest Blogs | Scottish Landscape Art - Scottish Landscape Paintings - Part 27

‘The Cobbler from Ben Donich – a damp summer day’

Posted by admin on March 29th, 2013
194 'The Cobbler from Ben Donich - a damp summer day', Acrylic & Pastel, 2011, 76 x 23 cm

‘The Cobbler from Ben Donich – a damp summer day’

‘The Cobbler from Ben Donich – a damp summer day’, Acrylic & Pastel, 2011, 76 x 23 cm

I thought I’d use this painting for my work of the week as it has just become my first US sale.  The couple who bought the painting saw it on the ‘Paintings for sale’ section on my website and contacted me a couple of weeks ago.  It is an important little break through for me and it’s great to think that the website is allowing people from around the globe, not just to see and read about the work but to buy it also.

The painting was based on a rather damp summer day a few years ago when Nita and I walked Ben Donich in the Arrochar Alps.  As can be seen from the painting, the mist was coming and going much of the time but it was wonderfully atmospheric when it broke and we could see across to the Cobbler on the other side of the glen.  Ben Donich is a very good hill with extensive views all around on a clear day.  Seemingly very grassy and straight forward, it does, however, have a wonderful little rocky nook not too far from the top …which adds to the interest.

Anyway, a big thanks you to the folk who bought this painting.  I hope it reminds you of the time you lived in Scotland and of the misty days you spent wandering the Scottish hills.

A new drawing….but not of a mountain!

Posted by admin on March 29th, 2013
The first of the new Dom drawings

The first of the new Dom drawings

Despite much time spent working on my computer this week and much sitting in meetings, I have managed to do some painting and drawing.  I have even got two pieces close to or perhaps even completed.  The drawing I’ve done is a bit of a look back ….it’s a new Dom drawing.  You’ll no doubt remember that in Speyer in 2010 I did a number of pastel drawings of the Dom, (the huge cathedral).  One of them, as I talked about in last week’s blog, was big, and now hangs on a wall in the lobby of a new hotel and restaurant in Speyer.  I also did three other similar drawings on a smaller scale …about 1m x 80cm and two of these sold and the other I gave to a friend in Speyer.  Anyway, a few weeks ago this friend contacted me to say that a colleague had seen the drawing she had and had asked if she knew whether I had any other similar drawings left over from my stay in the city.  In short, I didn’t, but I said that I’d try working on some new pieces and see what happened.

It was quite strange going back to something I’d not actually seen for over 18 months and although I have the original small working drawings and sketches I did along with a selection of photos ….they don’t in all honesty give me that much information.  Instead, what I do have is the memories of walking around the huge building, its massive bulk and height radiating the intense light of mid summer.  I’ve decided therefore, to try and create drawings that are more about these aspects of the building…..drawings that are slightly more solid than the original ‘big sketches’ I did.  I have as I say, just completed the first of these new drawings and am quite pleased with the way it’s gone.  It’s used up a lot of pastel though and before I can really get my teeth into the next one I’m going to have to order more materials.  It’s a start though and has made a very interesting change.  I’m not sure what the chap over in Speyer will think of these new pieces once they’re done but hopefully he’ll like them…..and if not, it doesn’t matter as I’m having a great time just doing the work…….and that, when all is said and done, is what it’s all about.

‘Sun-lit slopes, Sgiath Chuil’

Posted by admin on March 22nd, 2013
sun-lit-slopes-sgiath-chuil-acrylic-pastel-2013-30-x-30-cm

‘Sun-lit slopes, Sgiath Chuil’

‘Sun-lit slopes, Sgiath Chuil’, Acrylic and pastel, 2013, 30 x 30 cm

Last year I did a number of larger more abstract paintings.  This is one that I’ve recently completed at the small 30 x 30 cm size.  The idea for this piece originated after seeing a painting I did several years ago …..but trying in this piece to make a much simpler version of it.  I’ve actually used quite a lot of gold paint in this piece along with a kind of ‘tarnished copper’ colour paint too……it’s good to try things out and experiment.

Back to Glen Rosa…

Posted by admin on March 22nd, 2013
Heading into Glen Rosa

Heading into Glen Rosa

You may remember that back in the summer of 2010 when I was working over in Speyer in southern Germany, I made a very large drawing.  On that occasion it was based on the idea of walking around the outside of the huge cathedral that dominates the historic city of Speyer.  It was like a very large, (4 m x 1.5 m) sketch, made using different shades of grey oil pastel.  At the time I thought it might be my only opportunity to create such a large drawing and it was hugely enjoyable working on such a scale.

In Glen Rosa

In Glen Rosa

More recently, I started working on some new small graphite drawings based on the hills and mountains.  I’ve been quite excited by these new drawings but even as I was doing them I felt that they would work much better on a larger scale.  To start with I was really only thinking about moving up from A2 size to perhaps double A1 size, but then when we visited the Isle of Arran and did a walk up Glen Rosa a couple of months ago, I started to get an idea for another really big drawing!  As we walked up the glen that day with the mountains all around and covered with snow, it started me thinking that this was almost the opposite to the Speyer cathedral ….where as the drawing I did of that was about walking around the huge building, here in Glen Rosa it was like walking inside a huge natural structure.  Perhaps, I thought, I could create a big graphite drawing that conveyed something of the experience of being in this spectacular place.

A wild place, Glen Rosa

A wild place, Glen Rosa

The walls in my studio aren’t really suited to doing a large drawing as they are made from concrete blocks and have many pipes and electrical conduits running down them.   It would however be possible to build a ‘false wall’ in front of this to create a large, smooth drawing surface and so this might be the way to go.  The other option though might be to see this not just as a chance to do a big drawing but instead to try and make this more of an event, a way to promote both myself as an artist and the work itself.  To do this I’d have to find a suitable public place to do the drawing and to promote the event as an opportunity for people to see the work in progress.  As I anticipate such a drawing taking at least 4 weeks, it might be good for folk to be able to watch the thing develop, see the changes and mistakes; in short, to see the process.  Taking this idea further, it might also be possible to set up a video cam linked to my website so that a much larger audience could watch the drawing develop.

Looking towards the Saddle

Looking towards the Saddle

It’s all ideas at the moment but on Wednesday we went back over to the Isle of Arran and headed once again for Glen Rosa. A few months ago I was invited to take part in some research work that was being done into the way visually impaired people perceive paintings.  The research was being done by a chap called David Feeney from Edinburgh, and he recently got back to me to ask whether he could visit my studio and bring along a friend of his who is a film maker / photographer.  It was an interesting few hours and to cut a long story short, they then asked if they could accompany Nita and me on one of our walks.  David was interested in seeing the way Nita and I work together as ‘walker and guide’.

In Glen Rosa

In Glen Rosa

Our original plan was to meet at the Pentland Hills just outside Edinburgh but with heavy snow falling in the east, we decided instead to go over to the Isle of Arran and walk Glen Rosa.  The path up the glen is for me much more difficult than the paths on the Pentland Hills so even though we would not be going up high, David and his colleague Dan would get a much better idea of how the guiding process worked.  Of course it also gave me the opportunity to see the glen again ….and further develop my plans for the big drawing.  Conditions were once again perfect, with snow on the mountains and their tops disappearing into heavy and dramatic clouds.

The walk proved useful for all of us.  Dan got lots of film and photos taken, David asked many questions and I got lots of interesting information from both of them about how I might go about organising my big Glen Rosa drawing.  Nita had an enjoyable walk and took plenty of photos too and we were delighted to find that David and Dan had left us a bottle of wine and some chocolate eggs …..everyone happy!

A very late blog!

Posted by admin on March 18th, 2013
Rannoch Moor

Rannoch Moor

It’s now Monday and I should have had this written and posted by last Friday 15th March…..I’m not quite sure where all the time has gone this last week.

No great things to tell either.  I seem to have been down the studio most of the time working on one of the large 80 x 80 cm paintings.  Normally I would have taken a photograph of it to show you with this blog …..but ……I didn’t get around to photographing it.  The painting is coming on though and I think it may be finished, so later today if the light is OK in studio I’ll get a few snaps to put up on my Face Book page.

I had a visit on Friday from a couple of chaps who are doing research at the University of Edinburgh.  They’re looking into the way visually impaired people see paintings.  There were many questions and we must have been talking for several hours ….and all the time the whole thing was been recorded and videoed.  We were all a little shattered at the end and retired to the Harbour Arts Centre Bar for a pint.

Rannoch Moor

Rannoch Moor

As anyone who follows my Face Book page will have seen, we went out walking on the Saturday before last.  The plan was to walk a track east from the King’s House Hotel towards Rannoch station.  Our friend Guy needed to check the route for a group of Cadets he works with ….they’re planning to go this way as part of their Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award expedition.  Back last autumn Guy had caught the train to Rannoch station and walked west ……this time he wanted to get to the point he’d reached that day and we just fancied tagging along.   As it turned out the weather was pretty foul, certainly for the whole of the morning.  We started at about 8 o’clock in the morning from the King’s House Hotel and within a short distance it had started snowing wet flakes that were being driven into our faces by a very strong and cold east wind.  After about an hour, Guy decided to head off at a faster pace and slowly he drew further ahead …lost to sight for me but every now and again Nita spotted him way ahead through the gloom and what had turned into sleet and rain.  After just under four hours Nita and I decided we’d had enough and on finding a spot that was a little less windy, we stopped for lunch and an hilarious five minutes trying to get ourselves ensconced in our two person group shelter!  When we were eventually inside it was remarkably warm …but I don’t think we quite had it worked out as the small clear plastic window was by my backside and the panel Nita was supposed to be sitting on, was by her head!!  Oh well, needs some working on before the next time we use it …but it did give us a warm and relaxed lunch stop.

Rannoch Moor

Rannoch Moor

We kept in touch with Guy by phone and he reached his previous outward point by about 13.00.  It was certainly easier walking with the wind at our back as we returned and much more pleasant once the rain had stopped.  The last hour was great as the cloud started to rise and we got some impressive views of the big mountains.  Needless to say, we returned to the hotel a couple of hours before Guy and just had to make the best of it in the climbers bar!!!  A tough job but ….  When Guy arrived …he summed it up as ‘ten hours of tedium’!!!  Not the greatest of days but we’d all stretched our legs, Guy had completed the route and we all had a good meal and a laugh ….you can’t always get perfect weather on a day out but you can still have a fun time …even if you moan a bit!

Rannoch Moor

Rannoch Moor

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‘Winter afternoon, above Loch Ericht’

Posted by admin on March 8th, 2013
201-winter-afternoon-above-loch-ericht-acrylic-pastel-2011-76-x-23-cm

‘Winter afternoon above Loch Ericht’

‘Winter afternoon, above Loch Ericht’, Acrylic & Pastel, 2011, 76 x 23 cm

With the day light hours rapidly increasing now, I’ve been starting to think about longer walks again.  At about this time of year in 2007 I think it was, we drove up to the Drumochter Pass and walked a couple of hills to the west of the pass.  It proved a perfect day as it was a mix of winter and spring.  Low down in the glen, spring had definitely arrived but on the high tops there was still much snow and ice.  This painting is one of several I’ve done based on that wonderful day.  This painting is currently available direct from my studio.  For further details or to arrange a visit to my studio to see the painting, contact me: keith@keithsalmon.org  or Tel: 07742 437425.

Business & Pleasure…

Posted by admin on March 8th, 2013
On Fell Shin

On Fell Shin

Well then, after many weeks of preparation, my exhibition finally opened last Friday.  Nita and I arrived at ‘the gallery on the corner’ about half an hour before the preview started and I was delighted with the way the work had been hung.  The 18 pieces looked good together I’m pleased to say and we were ready for a good evening.  In short, it was a success, with a very good turn out, four paintings sold and other folk interested too ….so that bodes well for the next four weeks of the exhibition.

Looking across the northern slopes of Culter Fell

Looking across the northern slopes of Culter Fell

A good friend of mine from Iceland told me a few years ago, that in his country, when they hold an exhibition preview, the artist is always introduced and someone always says a few words about the work.  When I went to Germany the other year, I found they did something very similar.  Strangely most of the previews I’ve attended in Britain, don’t do this and so if you don’t actually know the artist or anything about the work, then it’s just a case of looking at the work and drinking a glass of wine and then leaving.

When we were discussing the preview for this exhibition we decided to take the more ‘continental’ approach.  Rob, (one of the assistant managers at the gallery) agreed to do a brief introduction and then I spoke for about five minutes.  I tried very briefly to give some back ground to my paintings and work in general.  It all went by in a bit of a blur, (and that was before I’d had a glass of wine) but folk seemed to think that the evening was better for it and there certainly was a very good atmosphere in the gallery.  Apparently someone was taking a video while Rob gave the introduction and I spoke and this is going to be posted on ‘the gallery on the corner’ Face Book page.  Gulp!  It’ll be interesting to see this short clip once it’s up ….and I can find out exactly what I said.  Anyway, a very big thanks to all at the gallery who made the evening so enjoyable and to all those who managed to get along for the event.  The exhibition runs until March 30th so there’s plenty of time to see it if you live in the area.

Snow on Culter Fell

Snow on Culter Fell

Needless to say, I was keen to get back out walking again.  We hadn’t been out since our trip to the Luss Hills three weeks ago and we’re now reaching the time of year when the days are long enough for me to do a reasonable length walk again.  So then, yesterday was the day, with a perfect weather forecast for the southern uplands of Scotland especially further east.  A good number of years ago we’d gone with some friends from Lanark, to their favourite local hill ….Culter Fell, just to the south of Lanark.  Unfortunately on that occasion one of our friends was feeling unwell and we decided it would be best if we turned back.  We did though see enough to realise that this was a splendid part of the world and well worth returning to at a later date.  Yesterday then, was the date and our earlier impressions were justified entirely.

Culter Fell from Tippet Knowe

Culter Fell from Tippet Knowe

On this occasion we decided to park the car at Coulter village and walk the two and a half miles up the single track road to the base of Culter Fell.  This was probably a good decision as it’s quite a steep pull up and the walk in from the village gave our legs a chance to loosen up before having to get into serious ‘up’ mode.  The countryside hereabouts is gentle but stunningly beautiful.  It reminded me very much of parts of mid Wales.  The glens are steep sided and the hills rounded…..and yesterday morning in the very spring like weather, it was quite idyllic.  As we followed the road up the glen we were accompanied by the calls of Curlew, Oystercatchers, Great Tits, Blackbirds and a Buzzard ….as well as the sheep bleating in the adjoining fields.

We took a circular route, tackling the steep prow of Fell Shin first.  You certainly gain height quickly and the views, even on this very bright hazy day, were lovely.  As we got further up, the angle eased and we had wonderful views across the steep northern slopes of the fell.  Here surprisingly large amounts of snow were still lying and it made the hills look very special indeed.  We stopped regularly to look, take photos and just take in the peace and quiet …it was wonderful.  We reached the trig point that marks the 748m summit of Culter Fell, at about half past one and found a nice spot for lunch.

Over looking an ancient hill fort, from The Bracs

Over looking an ancient hill fort, from The Bracs

Our descent was by way of Tippet Knowe and then along to The Bracs before a final descent to an ancient hill fort and back down to another single track road leading to Coulter.  It was a very fine circuit and definitely a place we’ll be returning to in the future …there are plenty of equally inviting hills all around.  As we left the village at about half past four we passed a very nice looking pub …with the sign outside reading, ‘No horse in our Haggis!’ …food all day, draught beers’.  Next time we’ll have to get our timing right so that we can pay it a visit too.

Back down to the tree line

Back down to the tree line

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‘Snow covered hills, above Largs’

Posted by admin on February 28th, 2013
'Snow covered hills, above Largs'

‘Snow covered hills, above Largs’

‘Snow covered hills, above Largs’, Oil, 2012, 80 x 80 cm

I was working on this painting for many months and only finally finished it a short while ago.  It is based on a day several winters ago when I went walking with my friend Guy, on the hills above Largs.  It was a bitterly cold January day and I seem to remember the car thermometer read minus ten C when I left the house early that morning.  We’d caught the train to Largs and it was still dark as we walked up through the town to the start of the path.  It was a great day although the snow conditions were very difficult to walk in and we didn’t manage to walk anywhere near as far as we’d originally planned.  But it was incredibly beautiful that day with big views out west over the Firth of Clyde to Bute and beyond.  The most memorable part of the day for me though was a short period as we were descending the hill in the late afternoon.  As the sun took its final dip towards the western horizon, it turned the snow covered hillside a strange and beautiful kind of pale copper / pink colour. As I say, it didn’t last long, but it made a great impression.  This painting tries to capture a little of that amazing colour.

This oil painting can be seen as part of my forthcoming exhibition, ‘In sun, rain, mist and snow’, at ‘the gallery on the corner’, 34 Northumberland St, Edinburgh, EH3 6LS.  The exhibition preview is tomorrow, Friday 1st March, 2013, 6pm – 8pm….all welcome.  The exhibition runs until 30th March.  The gallery is open, Tuesday – Saturday, 11.00 – 17.00.  I hope you can get along to see it.

‘In sun, rain, mist and snow’, an exhibition of recent work by Keith Salmon.

Posted by admin on February 28th, 2013
'From the east ridge of Beinn Lui, April'

‘From the east ridge of Beinn Lui, April’

‘In sun, rain, mist and snow’, an exhibition of recent work by Keith Salmon.
‘the gallery on the corner’, 34 Northumberland St, Edinburgh EH3 6LS
Preview, Friday March 1st, 6pm – 8pm
Exhibition runs until March 30th
Gallery open, Tues – Sat, 11.00 – 17.00

Well then, this time tomorrow the exhibition will just about be under way. It’s been a lot of work putting it all together, especially as I wanted to get a number of very new paintings completed in time. But I got there and we delivered the work on time last Saturday.

In the end, I selected 18 paintings; 10 of the 30 x 30 cm acrylic and pastel pieces, 4 of the 76 x 23 cm, 1 of the small 210 mm x 148 mm paintings and 3 of the 80 x 80 cm oil paintings. The choice of the last three larger pieces proved a difficult one. I think I must have changed my mind over which to take, about ten times over the last month or so. Part of the reason was that I was keen to include the new 80 x 80 cm acrylic and pastel painting of Beinn a’ Ghlo, that I’ve been working on. If you’ve been following my Face Book page you will have seen various versions of it ….but as I type I’m still not sure whether it’s finished or not. So then, as realisation dawned that it wasn’t going to be ready on time, I then had to find a substitute. In the end I went for three of the more abstract oil on canvas pieces I’ve done over the last year and I think they should work well and compliment the smaller acrylic and pastel pieces quite nicely.

'Snow shower, on the slopes of Ben Loyal, Sutherland'

‘Snow shower, on the slopes of Ben Loyal, Sutherland’

Even the selection of the 30 x 30 cm paintings wasn’t quite as straight forward as I’d thought. I’d initially planned to include eight pieces this size, but when they were framed and all together in the studio a few weeks ago, I realised that the selection didn’t sit as comfortably together as I’d hoped. Something wasn’t quite right and after much thought I decided that it was probably the mix of colours that wasn’t working. I decided that to pull them all together I needed a couple more paintings but done in more subtle blues, grey and green…..and so started painting again. Sometimes working under pressure is good and on this occasion it seems to have been so. I managed to complete the two new paintings and I’m very satisfied with both of them. They’ve done the trick too and the ten pieces now work well together I think, …though of course until I see them on the wall tomorrow evening I can’t say for sure!

'Dusk, on Rannoch Moor'

‘Dusk, on Rannoch Moor’

If you read last weeks blog you’ll have seen the seven new drawings I’m including in the show. There wasn’t enough space to hang them framed so I’ve just had them mounted and covered with acetate and they’ll be displayed in a stand. The more I’ve seen these drawings since they came back mounted from the framer, the more I’ve liked them and at £285 I think they’re a bargain! But then again I would say that wouldn’t I?!

Right then, that’s it for this week. The images here show paintings that will be in the exhibition, so if you like any why not either pop along to see them for real or contact ‘the gallery on the corner’, (tel; 0131, 557 8969) …or of course you can contact me.

I do hope some of you can get along to see the exhibition while it’s on and remember, if you would like to attend the preview tomorrow, then you’d be very welcome indeed.

'Memories of rain, mist and melting snow, Beinn Chonzie, January 2007'

‘Memories of rain, mist and melting snow, Beinn Chonzie, January 2007’

Keith Salmon, exhibition poster

Keith Salmon, exhibition poster

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‘Fresh snow, January 1st 2013, the Ochil’s’

Posted by admin on February 15th, 2013
‘Fresh snow, January 1st 2013, the Ochil’s’

‘Fresh snow, January 1st 2013, the Ochil’s’

‘Fresh snow, January 1st 2013, the Ochil’s’, Acrylic & Pastel, 2013, 30 x 30 cm

You may remember we spent our New Years Day walking in the Ochil Hills.  It was perfect conditions with the higher slopes whitened with a light covering of fresh snow.  A mixture of heavy clouds and bright sunny breaks made for beautiful subtle light and colours.  This small painting is my first attempt at trying to capture a little of that day.

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    Contact Details

  • Tel: 07568 380552 or 01294 216427
    E-mail: keith@keithsalmon.org