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Spring / Summer 2025. Art, Life & Eyes!

It has been a very strange six months since I wrote my last blog, (autumn / winter 2024). I’ve only managed to complete three paintings in that time and this was due to a very rapid deterioration in my little bit of sight.

As you probably know, I’ve been visually impaired since 1990 and registered as blind since 1999. This basically means that I have just a wee bit of sight in the upper part of my right eye and nothing at all in my left.

I’ve adapted to this limited view and have developed my career as an artist despite it.

In late 2019 however, a cataract in my right eye, finally got really bad and I was put on the waiting list to have it removed and a new lens fitted. There was a long delay due to Covid, but I eventually had it done in April 2022. It was very successful and gave me back a little bit of light and colour and a sense of space; I was still registered as blind but was back to where I had been ten or fifteen years earlier.

I had once again started developing my paintings and we were tackling bigger and more serious hills again ….all was looking good. Then, towards the end of the summer last year, I started to notice that I was once again struggling to see, especially in bright light.

By the autumn I knew for sure that something was wrong and when I saw an optician, he said that I had a problem with the new lens that had been fitted. He said however, that some fairly simple laser treatment would rectify matters and he referred me for the treatment, …… but told me that it could be 3 – 9 months before I got it done.

This all seemed pretty good except that my little bit of sight deteriorated very rapidly indeed and by the end of the year I was really having problems seeing my paintings and everything was taking longer and longer and longer.

Thankfully I received an appointment for the laser treatment in early April and the improvement was almost instant, …..by the time Nita and I walked from the hospital back to the car, my sight was back to my normal level. Phew! So then, this is why I’ve done so little painting.

The three 80 x 80 cm acrylic and pastel pieces I had been working on through this difficult period …… and which I thought were finished, were on inspection, (post laser treatment) found to be far from finished. They were all very ‘thin’ and I had to repaint each one. I’m pleased to say that they are now finally finished and all three are framed and on sale.

It has been a very difficult and trying time and it has set me back six months, but, I’m once again working and we have already started getting out onto the hills again. I have three new works under way and several more planned, so all is good. Below are the three finished acrylic and pastel paintings.

494 'Arkle, from the slopes of Fionarven, Sutherland'
Ref:494 ‘Arkle, from the slopes of Fionarven, Sutherland’
495 'Winter light, Glencoe'
495 ‘Winter light, Glencoe’
'A cold December morning, Glencoe'
Ref: 496 ‘A cold December morning, Glencoe’

We’ve been away twice this spring. We spent two weeks up in Sutherland at the end of March and were lucky with the weather for most of the two weeks. As this was pre laser treatment, I really couldn’t see very much and so nearly all the walks we did were on easy estate tracks.

We did go off-piste onto the open hillside on a couple of occasions, but it proved quite stressful, both for me and for Nita as my guide. That said, we had a lovely time and I still enjoyed being out in these wild places experiencing them in an even fuzzier way than normal!

Just over three weeks ago, we headed up to Ardnamurchan and spent a wonderful time exploring what for us was a new area of Scotland. I had only been to the region once as a child with my family in the early 1970’s and then on a couple of quick visits to the Resipole Gallery when I had some work there about 15 years ago.

We had perfect weather the whole two weeks and as well as doing a good few short exploratory walks, we walked our first proper hill since June last year. This hill was the splendid Ben Hiant.

Ben Hiant
Towards the summit of Ben Hiant

Situated at the western end of the peninsular and with superb views out over the isles of Muck, Eigg and Rum, this small hill, (being a little short of the 2000 ft mark) proved challenging for me. It is quite rugged in places, but with my trusty and very patient guide Nita, we made it to the top, just as most of the other walkers had left and so had a very peaceful time just taking in the big views.

summit of Ben Hiant
Looking west from the summit of Ben Hiant

Anyway, I had better get back to my work now…….I have a lot of catching up to do! If you are on the Irvine Harbourside, do call in to my studio. I also currently have work at the Scotlandart.com Gallery on Bath St in Glasgow and in the Seagull Gallery in Gourock. Finally, one of my new ‘Painting with Words’ pieces has recently been long-listed for the Scottish Landscape Awards and exhibition this summer. I’ll put up more details about the show nearer the time.

‘The Saddle from Glen Rosa, Isle of Arran, March’

5 'The Saddle from Glen Rosa, Isle of Arran, March', Acrylic & Pastel, 2013, 76 x 23 cm

‘The Saddle from Glen Rosa, Isle of Arran, March’, Acrylic & Pastel, 2013, 76 x 23 cm

Price: £720

Price after 1st September, 2015: £1008

Well then, if you’ve just read my current blog you’ll see that we had some very unseasonable weather up in Assynt recently.  It wasn’t quite as wintry as this but there was snow falling on the high tops on a couple of days and it was certainly as dark and misty on many occasions.

Anyway, this painting is currently on display as part of my exhibition, “All four seasons” at the John Muir Trust Wild Space Visitor Centre in Pitlochry.  If you are travelling up or down the A9 anytime before the 29th June, do call in to see the show.

“In Sun, snow, mist and rain”, a final view

My current exhibition at the Harbour Arts Centre here in Irvine, ends on Friday January 9th and as you probably know, it has been an exhibition of paintings along with the creation of a new large graphite drawing.

'Passing snow shower, on the slopes of Ben Loyal'

‘Passing snow shower, on the slopes of Ben Loyal’

It has been a very enjoyable time working in the gallery amidst the exhibition and it has been great hearing people’s comments and remarks as they have watched the drawing develop from a huge blank piece of paper, through apparently random scribbled marks and slowly into a recognisable landscape.

'Harris, west coast'

‘Harris, west coast’

One of the most common questions has been ….when do you know that it is finished? This also has to be one of the most difficult questions to answer! I had done many smaller drawings prior to the exhibition, to try and work out quite what the big drawing might look like, but these were only ever going to give me a very general idea. Working on this very large scale I had to develop the composition and “feel” of the work, as I did it. Knowing then, quite when it was finished was tricky, but I think I’ve got it about right. There are plenty of things that I might do differently if I were to do it again, but I’m very a happy with this result. I’ve learnt a lot from doing this project and it’s given me a lot of confidence that I could do large scale commissions like this if I can get them……..if you happen to be part of a large organisation or commercial group looking to commission large scale contemporary work …. do give me a call.

'A damp morning, Buachaille Etive Beag, Glen Coe'

‘A damp morning, Buachaille Etive Beag, Glen Coe’

As for this particular drawing, well, I’m giving this to North Ayrshire Council for their collection. We’re still discussing how and where the drawing might be displayed, but I’ll be formally handing the piece over at the “End View” on Thursday evening, 8th January. We decided to hold an “End view” so that we could invite folk back to view the finished work and it seemed the perfect time to pass the drawing on to the council. If I haven’t already sent you an invitation, please except my apologies and accept this open invitation to come along and help celebrate the successful conclusion of the exhibition and project.

'Below Mid Hill, spring'

‘Below Mid Hill, spring’

If you don’t live in the area or haven’t been able to get in to see the exhibition, the images displayed here show a few of the works.

'A January afternoon, Glen Rosa, Isle of Arran'

‘A January afternoon, Glen Rosa, Isle of Arran’

“In sun, snow, mist and rain”, Harbour Arts Centre, 114 – 116 Harbour St, Irvine, Ayrshire, KA12 8PZ.
“End view”, Thursday 8th January 2015, 7pm – 9pm, all welcome.

An invitation . . .

An invitation to see the Glen Rosa drawing, Harbour Arts Centre, Irvine

Exhibition “End view”, 8th January 2015, 7pm – 9pm

An invitation…

This large graphite drawing is now just about finished.  I plan to leave it for the next couple of weeks before returning to it at the start of January.  I’ll then have four or five days in which to do any final work needed.  I started the piece just over three weeks ago on November 25th and so it’s taken me a lot less time than I’d originally thought.

As you’ve seen, the drawing has been built up in a series of layered marks.  The early stages being pretty time consuming as I gradually covered the paper in a series of scribbled marks.  As each layer went in though, the structure of the piece started to become more apparent and once this was completed, I started changing the nature of the marks I was making.  I used a much softer (9B) graphite pencil to generate darker and much bolder marks, especially in the foreground.

The drawing however was always meant to be based on a day back in January 2012 when I walked Glen Rosa with Nita and our friend Guy.  It was a very cold day and at the head of the glen the snow came right down to the banks of the river.  It was a wild scene of snow and rock and mist.  So then, in order to try and create the feel of this winter morning, I started to use a soft rubber to cut back through the graphite, creating negative marks that give the impression of snow and cloud.  This was actually quite hard work as the rubber quickly gets covered with graphite and I constantly had to clean it so that I did not get dirty looking smudges all over the piece..

At the moment, I’m quite pleased with the way it’s looking.  It certainly captures the scale of the place and I think conveys quite well what it can be like in amongst the Scottish hills in winter.  That said, I also like the fact that when you get close to it you are just left with a complex series of lines and marks……it’s quite abstract

The drawing will be in the gallery until the end of the exhibition on January 9th.  If you haven’t already seen it, do call in some time or accept this invitation to the exhibition “End view” on the evening of 8th January,  7pm – 9pm …..It should be a good event and it would be great to see as many of you there as possible.

Finally, back blogging again!

“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-

‘Towards the Blackmount, winter’

'Towards the Blackmount, winter', Oil on canvas, 2014, 120 x 120 cm

‘Towards the Blackmount, winter’

 

‘Towards the Blackmount, winter’, Oil on canvas, 2014, 120 x 120 cm

This large oil painting was completed a few weeks ago before my trip to Brazil.  At the time I thought I’d need to leave it for a while to make sure I was happy with it……and the two week long break for the Open Weekend and the flying visit to Brazil, were perfect.  When I got back to the studio a few days ago and saw this painting, I decided that it was indeed finished.

The painting is based on an earlier smaller piece I did several years ago.  I wanted to try and develop the image in this larger painting and have used thick layers of oil paint put down with a large course brush to build up the surface.

This painting will be included in my forthcoming exhibition at the Harbour Arts Centre in Irvine.  The exhibition runs from November 28th 2014 – January 09 2015.  I hope you can get along to see this piece.

Another day…..

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.

The Biscuit Factory, Contemporary Art Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne

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.

‘On Beinn a’ Ghlo’

274  'On Beinn a' Ghlo', Acrylic & Pastel, 2013, 80 x 80 cm

‘On Beinn a’ Ghlo’

‘On Beinn a’ Ghlo’, Acrylic & Pastel, 2013, 80 x 80 cm

As you’ll see if you read the current blog, my mind is firmly on our forthcoming Courtyard Studios Open Weekend and as it suggests, it can be quite stressful getting everything organised.  At such times however, I have to remind myself why I enjoy the event so much and why it is so good for my own practice and the Courtyard as a whole.  The event is an excellent way to promote the Courtyard Studios as a centre for professional and quality art in the region as well as a great opportunity for visitors to view and buy the very latest work being produced here.

So then, with that in mind, I thought of this painting.  It was bought by a lady and gentleman from Glasgow at the start of our Open Studios weekend last year and I’m very glad to say they visited my studio again a few months ago and are still enjoying this scene from Beinn a’ Ghlo.

I’m currently working on several new pieces which should be ready for this year’s event on Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th October.  Open: Saturday 4th, 11am – 5pm, Sunday5th 12 noon – 5pm.  Entry free, all visitors welcome.  I hope you can get along to see some of my new paintings.

‘Towards the Mamores, a showery summers day’

4 'Towards the Mamores, a showery summers day', Acrylic & Pastel, 2014, 76 x 23 cm

‘Towards the Mamores, a showery summers day’

 ‘Towards the Mamores, a showery summers day’, Acrylic & Pastel, 2014, 76 x 23 cm

This recent painting is just one of ten pieces that I delivered to The Biscuit Factory in Newcastle upon Tyne on Thursday.  The work will be part of their Autumn Exhibition that opens on September 12th.  I’ll be posting full details a little nearer the time.

This painting is based on a view we had almost exactly a year ago when we took some friends for a short walk up the Devil’s Staircase in Glen Coe.  From the high point we had a wonderful view out across to the Mamores which were visible amongst broken clouds.  The whole scene made a wonderful patchwork of colour, light and shade.