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Beinn Dorain | Scottish Landscape Art - Scottish Landscape Paintings

Posts Tagged ‘Beinn Dorain’

‘Winter afternoon, Beinn Dorain’

137 'Winter afternoon, Beinn Dorain', Acrylic & Pastel,  2009, 90 x 60 cm

‘Winter afternoon, Beinn Dorain’, Acrylic & Pastel, 2009, 90 x 60 cm

I recently had an enquiry about this painting and, as it is several years old now, I decided to get it out and have a closer look at it.  I did the painting after a fabulous winter walk up Beinn Dorain near the Bridge of Orchy.  This view looks from its false summit across the wee ridge to the summit proper.  It was a cold and clear day with large patches of icy snow lying around.  I seem to remember my mate Guy and I sitting for rather too long up here, just taking in the peace, quiet and beauty of the place.   As it turned out, we did head back in time ….just.  It was getting quite gloomy as we made our way back down the final slopes to the West Highland Way and the Bridge of Orchy station.  I guess that one of the reasons I love doing these paintings is that they bring back many memories.

Seven drawings

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‘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…..

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‘East from Ba cottage, early morning’

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‘Fresh snow, the Ochils’

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‘Winter patterns, Beinn Dorain’

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‘Winter slopes, Blackmount’

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‘In the Luss hills’

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‘Winter afternoon, Beinn Dorain’

188-winter-afternoon-beinn-dorain-acrylic-pastel-2011-80-x-80-cm-web

‘Winter afternoon, Beinn Dorain’

‘Winter afternoon, Beinn Dorain’, Acrylic & Pastel, 2011, 80 x 80 cm

This is the latest of the new 80 x 80 cm paintings and is one of two pieces based on the slopes of Beinn Dorain on a rather drab winter afternoon.  This hill appears most dramatically as you drive north between Tyndrum and Bridge of Orchy.  From the high point of the A82 just beyond Tyndrum it appears as a very steep sided cone but as you get closer its huge western flanks rise up from the floor of the glen in a long wall that runs all the way to Bridge of Orchy.  Contouring around its base is the railway line that crosses the Auch Gleann in a great curve on viaducts.  This is just a wonderful spot whether you’re driving along the A82, a passenger on the train, or walking the West Highland Way.

‘Winter patterns, Beinn Dorain’ – work in progress

work-in-progress-winter-patterns-beinn-dorain-acrylic-pastel-80-x-80-cm

'Winter patterns, Beinn Dorain'

 

Work in progress:  ‘Winter patterns, Beinn Dorain’, Acrylic & Pastel, 80 x 80 cm

Two or three weeks ago I posted a photo on my Face Book page Keith Salmon – Scottish Landscape Artist. The photo was one that I’d taken several years ago as we were returning from a weekend of walking in Kinlochleven. It was February and the weather had been atrocious ..indeed, it was very severe up on the tops….so much so that on Sunday morning we’d decided to cut our losses and head home early. As we were driving back along the A82 just past Bridge of Orchy we got some amazing views across to the flanks of Beinn Dorain. These slopes are cut by numerous eroded gullies and after the snowfall of the weekend we saw an amazing pattern of snow and grass and crag. I don’t normally take photos out of the car but this was an exception and I always thought I’d like to try and do a painting based on what we saw that day.

To be honest I haven’t really been sure how to paint such a thing and it is only recently that I’ve felt like giving it a try. This is the first painting …still a work in progress …but coming on. I have already started another piece …a view of the slopes from a slightly different angle.

Just right…

On Ben Inverveigh

On Ben Inverveigh

In the past when I had more time, I’d be happy to go out walking even if the forecast was for very low cloud and rain and general gloom. It’s interesting and quite a challenge. As my work has developed though, to take up more of my time, I’ve started to realise that the walks I go on need to be both work and play and as such I tend now to be a little more selective about the weather conditions on the days we walk.

Over the last few days it has been just the case. We’ve wanted to get out again on a fairly regular basis in order to build up our fitness again but looking ahead this week, the forecasts were pretty miserable. Bands of rain and hill snow coupled with low cloud didn’t look too promising. That said however, Wednesday seemed to offer the best chance of getting a few breaks and slightly higher cloud …although it did appear that we might get quite wet too.

We chose to walk Ben Inverveigh, the very modest little hill we’ve visited several times before. It lies close to Loch Tulla and makes for a gentle walk in an excellent location.

Frozen lochan on Ben Inverveigh

Frozen lochan on Ben Inverveigh

As it wasn’t going to be a great hike we didn’t set off too early and stopped for a quick late breakfast at the ‘Green Welly in Tyndrum. The forecast seemed about right and the cloud was very firmly settled at around 650m but with quite a number of breaks offering occasional brightness and even a brief glimpse of blue sky. The snow was a little lower than I’d expected and seemed to start at around 500m. It’s just a short drive from Tyndrum over to our starting point at the Bridge of Orchy and as we approached it we got the first view of our hill …definitely snow topped and with its upper slopes in mist ….but it was dry and so things were looking good.

The big hills of Beinn Dorain and Beinn an Dothaidh were well shrouded in mist but the corrie that lies between them looked great..the steep crags on each side of it appearing out of the whiteness of snow and mist.

Our route followed the West Highland Way from Bridge of Orchy gently uphill through some forestry before emerging onto open hillside …the northeast end of Ben Inverveigh.

The WHW climbs over this shoulder before descending down to the wee road near the Inveroran Hotel. Our route though left the WHW at its highest point and followed a green track across rough ground before petering out not far below a prominent little top at just over 500m. We’d just got into the patchy snow and in the gloomy light it made everything come alive. Ben Inverveigh is just a long broad grass, heather and stone covered ridge or lump but it is superbly located with bigger hills all around and the beautiful Loch Tulla below.

Descending Ben Inverveigh

Descending Ben Inverveigh

As we went along this ridge we were surprised at the snow ..it was a good covering of 10 – 15 cm with occasional drifts and banked out hollows. There are a number of small lochans along the way and these were coated in a thin layer of ice which was then covered in snow …care was needed, especially when the cloud came down, not to inadvertently walk over …and no doubt into one of these icy little baths. The summit is at the far end of the ridge …about an hours walk, and is marked by a small cairn perched atop one of the numerous rocky outcrops. We were lucky and arrived in clear conditions and had good views around us ….it was even dry and with very light winds it made for a pleasant if short lunch spot. We retraced out steps back along the ridge and down to the WHW and then followed the track down to the Inveroran Hotel before walking the single track road back to the Bridge of Orvhy.

Loch Tulla, late afternoon

Loch Tulla, late afternoon

As we descended though, the cloud started to lift and break all around and we got wonderful views of Loch Tulla and the remnants of the Caledonian Forest all shown to their advantage in the bright late afternoon sunlight. But the best was saved till last. As we followed the road back to our starting point, Beinn an Dothaidh and Beinn Dorain became clear of mist and were illuminated by the last rays of the fast sinking sun ….quite stunning and the best view of these hills I’ve ever had.

We got back to the car just after the sun had set and after changing out of the walking gear, decided to check out the Bridge of Orchy Hotel. Perfect timing …they started serving food at six o’clock. With a warm fire, friendly service and great food it made for the perfect end to our day.

Last light, Beinn Dorain

Last light, Beinn Dorain

We had a fine day the previous Saturday at the preview to the exhibition at The Strathearn Gallery. The show, comprising paintings by myself and a wonderful selection of glassware and sculpture by Scott Irvine, looks great …even though I say it myself! I was very pleased with the way it had all gone together and Fiona, the gallery owner, had done a fantastic job at hanging and presenting all the work. We had a pretty good turn out despite forecasts for snow. So, if you haven’t had a chance t get along to see it …well, I think you’ll find it a worth while trip.

Battersea Park Affordable Art Fair – with The Strathearn Gallery, Crieff


'Below Cul Mor, Assynt', Acrylic & Pastel, 2008, 80 x 110 Ref-95

'Below Cul Mor, Assynt'

Earlier this year, Fiona at The Strathearn Gallery in Crieff, asked me if I could let them have six paintings for the Battersea Park Affordable Art Fair. The gallery is taking a stand at the fair this autumn and it seems a great opportunity.

Of course, it’s always difficult deciding quite which pieces to send and to be honest I changed my mind a few times before finally settling on the six paintings. Fiona has asked for two small pieces, three medium and one large. I had the choice of two large pieces but in the end have gone with ‘Below Cul Mor, Assynt’. This is quite a bold piece for me, with bright colours and broad sweeps of paint. It is based on the view of the main rocky summit of the hill from the small loch that nestles below it in an area of beautiful exposed horizontal beds of red sandstone. We sat here for a while a couple of years ago, contemplating the steep and at the top, rocky ascent ahead of us.

The three medium size pieces were slightly more difficult to select. At first I was going to include three of my long thin 76 x 23 cm paintings, but in the end I’ve omitted one of these and have included instead the slightly larger piece, ‘Winter afternoon, Beinn Dorain’. I think this will work well with the Cul Mor painting as it has similar sweeps of paint and is another quite bold piece.

When it came to the two small pieces I was swayed by popular opinion. Last weekend at the Courtyard studios Open Weekend I had a number of my small 30 x 30 cm paintings on display and a couple of them were getting a lot of attention. These were ‘Autumn grasses, Beinn Inverveigh’ and ‘On Beinn a’Ghlo, autumn’.

'Winter afternoon, Beinn Dorain', Acrylic & Pastel, 2009 Ref 137

'Winter afternoon, Beinn Dorain'

I’m currently sat in the kitchen typing this and upstairs Anita has the six paintings. In the past I’ve managed to send paintings to galleries that have on occasions had marks on their frames and on one infamous occasion, even sent one small piece with its glass missing! The joys of limited vision I’m afraid and so now I ask Nita to check all the work before we wrap it up and send it off to the gallery.

So then, that’s us away up to Crieff tomorrow to deliver the work to The Strathearn Gallery. From Irvine it’s about an hour and three quarters in the car I guess and once beyond Glasgow the route goes through some very pleasant country….so it’ll make a nice trip. Rising just to the north of the town, are the hills surrounding Loch Turret. You may remember we were walking up here early this year and we’re now planning another walk in the area one day soon. I’m hoping it’ll be warm enough to sit and do some sketching as I really want to get some paintings done of this beautiful area.

'Autumn grass, Beinn Inverveigh', Acrylic & Pastel, 2009 Ref 136

'Autumn grass, Beinn Inverveigh'

If you’re in London and can get along to the fair, the details are:

The Affordable Art Fair, Battersea Park, London

The Strathearn Gallery stand number is: I 14.

The fair opens on Wednesday evening 20th October.

The last day of the fair is Sunday 24th October.

Beinn Dorain and the Bridge of Orchy Hills, April

beinn-dorain-and-the-bridge-of-orchy-hills-april-acrylic-pastel-2010-60-x-27-cm

Beinn Dorain and the Bridge of Orchy hills,April

‘Beinn Dorain and the Bridge of Orchy Hills, April’, Acrylic & Pastel, 2010, 60 x 27 cm

This is a new version of the view from the summit of Beinn Odhar and it will be exhibited as part of a ‘New gallery artists’ exhibition at Scotlandart.com Edinburgh gallery. The exhibition will open in late October. More info re this exhibition nearer the time.

We had planned to climb this hill tomorrow but a problem with the car has meant we’ve had to cancel …but it’ll be there for another time. This 900m hill is a real favourite of mine so it’ll not be long before we’re back.

Painting from experience

'Between Creise and the Buachaille, winter'

'Between Creise and the Buachaille, winter'

It’s amazing to think that this time in four weeks I’ll be back in my studio in Irvine. My time here has gone by very quickly and I’m now getting in ‘panic mode’ as my final exhibition looms and I’ve still much work to do!

I’ve now completed eight paintings and have another four still on the go. I’ve also been working on a couple of small ‘Scottish’ pieces for forth coming exhibitions and have a couple more of these on the go too.

It’s been interesting working on the two different types of subject matter…..the bigger paintings based on the cathedral in Speyer and the Pfalz landscape and the smaller Scottish landscapes. It’s made me realize just how important it is to really get to know your subject when it comes to doing a painting. My Scottish paintings are all based on the places I walked (sometimes many times and in all conditions) and so when I get back to the studio I not only have numerous photos and some sketches, but I have many many hours of actually being out observing and experiencing the landscape I’m painting. These experiences are in a way stored in my memory and are used in all my Scottish paintings. As such it has meant that despite my being in Germany for the last three months, I’ve been able to work on these small Scottish scenes with the use of just a couple of photos as memory joggers.

'Beinn Dorain from Beinn Odhar, April'

'Beinn Dorain from Beinn Odhar, April'

‘Beinn Dorain from Beinn Odhar, April’, is based on one of the views from the summit of this fine steep grassy 900 m hill and I’ve stood here on a good number of occasions. It makes a good short walk but it is very steep so it gives your legs a good work out – we normally head here in April to tone up the muscles before our two weeks walking holidays in early May each year. The point is that although I haven’t been there this year, I’ve all the memories of the previous times I’ve climbed the hill and all the different conditions I’ve seen it in, the different light and in rain and cloud and sun. If I’d only been out occasionally over the last eight years rather than every few weeks, I’d not have been able to do this painting ….working from a photo on its own is very difficult …even if you have got good eyes to see it.

This is why for the most part I’ve put all my attention on painting the Speyer Cathedral while I’ve been living here. It is the most obvious thing to paint in this city, but as I can’t easily get out into the countryside, it has offered me something which I can visit regularly and get to know. Over the time I’ve been here I’ve built up a mental impression of it …so that I have much more to work on than just a few photos. This is where I’ve had problems trying to produce a couple of paintings of the typical Pfalz landscape. I’ve only been out into the wine growing region a few times and have only experienced it very briefly. I took a few photos and as I’m a landscape painter I wanted to do something before leaving that was of the local landscape …rather than just the man made landscape of the city……and I’ve been struggling! It’s just that I really don’t know the subject I’m trying to paint. The colours and light are very different here and I haven’t got a head full of ‘information’ to fall back on.

I’m not sure whether I’ll complete these two paintings …we’ll see I guess. It’s certainly made me realize how important it is to get out and as I’ve done very little hill walking this year it’s made me determined to find the time as soon as I’m back in Scotland. Fingers crossed for some good September weather in the west of Scotland.

A modest little mountain, a massive view

Beinn Dorain

Beinn Dorain

Well then, we did get out on the hill again last week as planned. We headed for a very modest little hill tucked in at the side of Ben Challum, not far from Crianlarich. It’s called Beinn Chaorach and it’s no more than a long grassy whale-back that rises to a little over 800m, but it is in a perfect location, offering a wonderful view all around. It also has one other important benefit ….especially on an Easter bank holiday weekend …it’s not very popular with most walkers and so you usually have the place to yourself.

We didn’t leave particularly early as the forecast was for cloud and patchy rain clearing as the day progressed. It made more sense to have a late start and to make the most of the lighter evenings. This worked out well as the cloud was well down on the tops when we arrived with just occasional breaks….but it looked promising for later in the day.

We left the car at the side of the A82 (the normal starting point for the Munro, Ben Challum) and followed the West Highland Way for a couple of kilometres before heading off towards our hill along a rough estate track. The heavy snow of earlier in the week was still much in evidence with the hillsides splattered with big snow patches all the way up from track level to around 750m above which there was a more overall cover. The estate track leads around the end of Beinn Chaorach and then along the glen between it and Ben Challum. All the way along were the remains of deep snow drifts and virtually every gully and hollow were filled with snow creating wonderful patterns on the hillsides. The cloud was rising as we wandered our way along the track and although there was more sun we were also caught in a couple of snow showers that drifted in from the west and made everything very atmospheric.

Ben Challum

Ben Challum

After a couple of kilometres the path enters a large fenced off area …protected by both a standard and electric fence. These were to keep deer and sheep out to allow the vegetation to regenerate naturally. Thankfully there was a stile but the track only continues for a short distance and from that point on it becomes a very rough walk indeed to get to the stile another kilometre away at the far side of the enclosure. At this end of the glen there are numerous small streams to cross and each one was covered with snow. We could hear the water underneath but it took some careful prodding with the walking poles to locate and avoid falling through the snow and into the water. We didn’t escape completely unscathed ….my partner Nita followed me across one such snow covered stream ..and ended up to her knees in snow with her boots in the water. That’s what comes of the guide following the blind man I guess! She went back to leading straight after that.

Ben More & Stob Binnein from Beinn Chaorach

Ben More & Stob Binnein from Beinn Chaorach

From the far side of the enclosure it’s just a short walk to the wide beallach and this opens up a vast panorama of snow covered and very shapely peaks, Beinn Dorain, Beinn an Dothaidh and Beinn a’ Caisteil to name but a few. From here we climbed gradually gaining the far end of Ben Chaorach and following its broad and increasingly snowy back all the way to the old trig point marking the summit. The snow up here was much firmer and made for good walking. It looked particularly good too as the wind had scoured the surface creating numerous little ridges and subtle eddies …every one of them now picked out by the late afternoon sun. The bigger view all around was quite breathtaking but our gaze was drawn to the peaks of Ben More and Stob Binnien, caked in snow and looking every bit of their 1170m. Wow! Just below the summit there was a large pan of smooth snow and as we’d not really had a lunch break, we decided that this would be the ideal spot. It was so quiet and as planned we hadn’t met a soul the whole day. At one point Nita had spotted some climbers making their way along the ridge towards the main summit of Ben Challum but there was no one over on this hill.

The walk off Ben Chaorach is so easy …even when you can’t really see where you’re putting your feet. It was one of the most relaxed descents I’ve ever done. Usually the descent is the difficult bit for me. It’s normally very slow and surprisingly tiring …much more so than climbing the hill in the first place.

From Beinn Chaorach

View From Beinn Chaorach

This though was a real pleasure and by the time we were back on the WHW there was virtually no cloud in the sky and we arrived back to the car in the beautiful late evening sun. It was a perfect day.

Work of the Week: ‘Winter afternoon, Beinn Dorain’

137 'Winter afternoon, Beinn Dorain', Acrylic & Pastel, 2009, 90 x 60 cm

'Winter afternoon, Beinn Dorain'

‘Winter afternoon, Beinn Dorain’, Acrylic & Pastel, 2009, 90 x 60cm

I did this painting after a fantastic day walking this time last year.  A friend and I went up to Bridge of Orchy to climb Beinn Dorain – and caught ourselves a wonderful few hours of weather.  It was freezing hard all the way up from the road, but there really wasn’t much snow except on the steep north facing slope not far below the cairns.  As we climbed the clouds broke and although clear around us, the hills of Crianlarich and Glen Falloch were all sticking there heads out of the mist.  Being mid week we only saw a couple of other walkers and when we reached the main summit we had the place to ourselves.  We just sat and took in the incredible views and complete silence.