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Ba Cottage | Scottish Landscape Art - Scottish Landscape Paintings

Posts Tagged ‘Ba Cottage’

‘Squall, on the edge of Rannoch Moor’

355 'Squall, on the edge of Rannoch Moor', Acrylic & Pastel, 2015, 30 x 30 cm

‘Squall, on the edge of Rannoch Moor’, Acrylic & Pastel, 2015, 30 x 30 cm

Price £675

As anyone who reads my blogs will know, we walk bits of the West Highland Way quite regularly…..usually to get to or back from a hill.  I’m hoping this year to put together a series of paintings based on views from, or above this famous long distance path.  I have a number of works already completed that could be included and this painting is one of them.

It is based on a view we had as we were walking back along the WHW between Ba Cottage and the Glencoe ski centre.  We had  been walking the hills to the west of the path and were at the end of what had been a long day when we saw this heavy shower moving towards us across the edge of Rannoch Moor.

The painting is one of ten works  currently showing in the Winter Exhibition at The Biscuit Factory in Newcastle upon Tyne.  The exhibition runs until the end of February so do call in to see it if you live in the city, or are visiting the area.  There is so much to see at The Biscuit Factory that it makes a great day out.  I hope you can get along to see this painting.

West Highland Way Work – a plan for the future

I’ve never walked the whole of the famous and hugely popular West Highland Way long distance footpath, but over the last sixteen years Nita and I have walked much of it.  We’ve walked sections of it at a time, usually in the winter when the weather up on the tops is too wild for high level trips and have used the path many times to reach or get back from the foot of a hill.  However you walk this path in a continuous trip from end to end, or as we’ve done, in short sections, there can be no argument that it takes a fabulous route and passes through some superb scenery.

scottish landscape paintings

‘East from Ba Cottage, first light’

This year we’ve used the WHW on several occasions to reach hills.  In the spring we followed it south along the eastern shores of Loch Lomond for several kilometres before climbing steeply up the hillside and heading up to the lonely little summit of Cruin a’ Bheinn.   Couple of months ago we used the path once again to get to the base of Beinn Odhair near Tyndrum and only a few weeks ago we once again set off along it’s well trodden surface, this time heading for the wee hill of Ben Inverveigh.  Back on a really fine day day, we followed it up the famous Devil’s Staircase opposite Buachaille Etive Beag, before leaving it for a fine wander along the ridge.  All of these walks gave fabulous views both on the path itself and from the hills surrounding it.

scottish landscape paintings

‘The Buachaille from the Devil’s Staircase’

Over the years I’ve created quite a number of paintings and drawings based on views we’ve had from or above this famous footpath and I’ve decided that it would be nice to put together a selection of work based on my experiences of the path.  It will mean visiting the sections we haven’t been on before and revisiting other sections, but it’ll be a damn good excuse for doing so ….if ever I needed one that is!

scottish landscape paintings

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

There’s a lot of work to be done but when the paintings are complete I’m hoping that I’ll be able to produce a collection of West Highland Way cards and prints from them and maybe even produce a book.  First things first though, more walking, more painting.  Heck, it’s a tough job isn’t it!

scottish landscape painting

‘From the eastern shores of Loch Lomond’

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Seven drawings

1-early-morning-rannoch-moor-graphite-stick-on-paper-2013

‘Early morning, Rannoch Moor’

Earlier this week I took the seven new graphite drawings down to my framer in Prestwick. I’ve asked them to mount the drawings only as there won’t be enough space in the gallery to hang them. The drawings though will be on display in a stand and will be available for sale should anyone take a fancy to any of them.

It’s now about 07.15 and I’m rushing to get things completed on this computer as I have to get down to the studio quite early today. Over the last few weeks or so I’ve been posting odd photos of some of the drawings but I thought I’d take this opportunity to show them all together. Of course this has the advantage that I don’t have to write much this morning ….it’s one of those ‘picture blogs’ this week! Anyway, I hope you find them of interest.

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‘East over Rannoch Moor, early morning’

They’re all done on thick off white paper …I think it was 220 g paper and I’ve used soft graphite pencils scribbled down in over lapping layers. I’ve also cut back through the dark areas using a soft rubber and have tried to control some of these marks by light applications of fixative at points throughout the drawing process. They are all A2 size, so not huge …but I think they may well deserve to be taken to a much larger scale.

This is just a thought at present but it would be nice to do something on the scale of the large drawing I did when I was in Speyer in the summer of 2010. That drawing was just over 4 m long by 1.5 m high! It would certainly mean using a lot of graphite sticks.

Anyway, here are the rest of the drawings ….if you can get along to see them for real they’ll be on display at ‘the gallery on the corner’, 34 Northumberland St, Edinburgh EH3 6LS throughout March. The gallery is open, Tues – Sat, 11.00 – 17.00. I must dash now…..

3-east-from-ba-cottage-early-morning-graphite-stick-on-paper-2013

‘East from Ba cottage, early morning’

4-fresh-snow-the-ochils-graphite-stick-on-paper-2013

‘Fresh snow, the Ochils’

5-winter-patterns-beinn-dorain-graphite-stick-on-paper-2013

‘Winter patterns, Beinn Dorain’

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‘Winter slopes, Blackmount’

7-in-the-luss-hills-graphite-stick-on-paper-2013

‘In the Luss hills’

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A small hill….in a very big landscape

The wild landscape at the edge of Rannoch Moor

The wild landscape at the edge of Rannoch Moor

Quite a few years ago I started thinking about walking Meall a’ Bhuiridh ….the big hill on the edge of Blackmount, and Rannoch Moor that is home to the Glencoe ski centre.  The easiest way would simply have been to walk up following the line of the ski lift, but well, it didn’t seem very adventurous!  There had to be a better way up the hill and one that would avoid much of the paraphernalia attached to the ski slopes.  After looking at the map I decided to climb the hill by its south east ridge and then just descend down the ski slopes.  It seemed a good compromise and would make for an interesting day.

A little hill in a very big landscape

A little hill in a very big landscape

We did the walk on a dry and quite fine summer day.  The cloud was high and so although there was no sun to be had, we were at least assured of some good views….or at least Anita was.  She was not only guiding me but also our friend Norma who is also visually impaired.  We left the car at the ski centre car park and then headed back along the West Highland Way for several kilometres until we reached Ba Cottage …not far short of Ba Bridge.  From here it’s a steady pull uphill to reach the end of the SE ridge of Meall a’ Bhuiridh ….and we got here just in time for an early lunch.  It makes for a wonderful picnic spot as you are well off any paths and have views all around…..and it was here that Nita first set eye on Meall Tionaill.  This is a small hill (582m) set in the heart of Blackmount and surrounded by much bigger neighbours.  Nita was quite taken with this lonely little hill and before we set off again I think she was already planning to go to it one day.  From our lunchtime spot the broad ridge climbed steeply at first grass covered and then increasingly boulder strewn slopes.  But turning around for a breather every few minutes we got increasingly big views…it was quite spectacular.

After what seemed an age, the angle of the slope eased and we emerged out onto the rocky top of the hill at just over 1100 m.  There were surprisingly few people up at the top but high above us was someone flying around with a paraglider.  At first neither Norma or I could see it despite much pointing and giving of directions by Anita, but almost as if the pilot realised our problem he or she flew directly over head and then just hung there in the air …a bit like a Kestrel without all the flapping!  It was amazing.  After several minutes it turned and headed off towards Buachaille Etive Mor.  We descended down the ski slopes which at least to start with, made for very easy walking.  The lower section though was steep and on an increasingly eroded path by or almost below the ski lift …and seemed to take an age to get back down to the car …I seem to remember we were back there by around 7pm.

Meall Tionaill  surrounded by its larger neighbours

Meall Tionaill surrounded by its larger neighbours

The reason for recalling this walk is that despite our saying most years that we’d have to go and find Meall Tionaill, we’ve never got around to it.  A few days ago though, I received an email from our friend Guy saying that he was planning to go and find this wee hill one day soon ….and he asked if we’d like to join him.  Sounds as good a time as any and as Nita and I have just had a month of flu and cold bugs, our first walk back on the hills for over a month should be a relatively easy one …and this sounds just the thing.  So then, not quite sure when we’ll try and go, but hopefully it’ll be one day in the next couple of weeks.  There’ll be a full report as and when.  The only photo I actually have of this little hill is ….well, rather vague ….Anita had to find it for me and mark it with an arrow!  As I say, it’s a little hill in a very big landscape.