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Beinn Odhar | Scottish Landscape Art - Scottish Landscape Paintings

Posts Tagged ‘Beinn Odhar’

‘Early morning, October,Loch Lomond’

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‘Early morning, October, Loch Lomond’

‘Early morning, October,Loch Lomond’, Acrylic & Pastel, 2012, 30 x 30cm

This is one of my latest small 30 x 30 cm paintings.  Based on the early morning light on the hills above the western shores of Loch Lomond.  We had been travelling up to Tyndrum back in October to do a walk up Beinn Odhar and as we drove up the side of Loch Lomond the rising sun illuminated the tops of the hills.  In their autumn colours the scene was particularly good and we just had to stop and look.

A great weekend followed by a great walk

I can’t believe it’s Thursday again already …this last week has just flown by ….but perhaps that’s because it has been a good one.

The lower slopes of Beinn Odhar from the West Highland Way

The lower slopes of Beinn Odhar from the West Highland Way

Our Open Weekend at the Courtyard Studios last Saturday and Sunday, proved a real success.  All the hard work that everyone had put into it, paid off and we had around 300 visitors over the course of the weekend.  We were, I have to admit, very lucky with the weather this year and instead of the rain and howling gales of last year we had two beautiful sunny days for the event.  The courtyard looked great with all the doors open this year and an added bonus was a newly repaired and painted table in the centre …..courtesy of ‘Jim the joiner’, a retired gentleman who makes stretcher frames for Margaret and who agreed to fix our courtyard table prior to the weekend……many thanks Jim.  I think everyone had a good time and there were certainly a few sales and a couple of commissions gained along with a lot of interest that will hopefully turn into sales over the next weeks, months or years.  There is already talk of perhaps doing another event during the lead up to Christmas ….we have a meeting next week so we’ll see what folk are thinking and take it from there.  Anyway, the biggest thanks for last weekend’s success must go to everyone who came down to the Harbour side and visited the studios ….I hope you all enjoyed yourselves.  Remember that visitors are always welcome at the Courtyard Studios, so do feel free to call in next time you’re passing.  You’ll have to take us as you find us ….these are working studios ….but that all adds to the interest.

The Crianlarich Hills from the slopes of Beinn Odhar

The Crianlarich Hills from the slopes of Beinn Odhar

I must admit that by Monday I was pretty tired.  I was in putting everything back in its place and even did some painting in the afternoon.  The weather though was still good and the mountain forecast suggested 80% chance of a cloud free Munro.  With Nita working on Wednesday and the weather going wet again on Thursday we just had to catch ourselves a walk while things were so good.  We haven’t been out though for around five weeks ….when we were up on the hills above Glen Shee and so we didn’t want too big a walk …just something short but steep enough to get the leg muscles complaining!  Last week for my ‘Artwork of the week’, I showed a small painting based on a day we’d had on Beinn Odhar near Tyndrum …and this seemed the perfect hill for occasion.  It has the added bonus that you can leave the car in Tyndrum and have breakfast at the Green Welly before starting out and a cup of tea on your return!  Perfect.

'A perfect spot for a snooze!'

‘A perfect spot for a snooze!’

There was a real feel of autumn in the air as we drove north with frost on the verges at the side of the road.  The colours on the hillside were particularly bright as the sun rose and caught the tops of the bigger hills.  The sky was completely clear and Loch Lomond looked stunning ….so good that we just had to stop at Inveruglas and take a few photos.  By the time we got to Tyndrum the sun was higher and the mountains looked very inviting …but not before a bacon roll and a cup of their excellent coffee at the Green Welly.

From near the summit of Beinn Odhar

From near the summit of Beinn Odhar

We started walking (heading north up the West Highland Way) around half past nine and after crossing the bridge over the railway line, we left the WHW and headed up the steep mainly grass slopes of Beinn Odhar.  It was hard work for my out of condition legs and I needed many regular stops (to admire the view of course) as we gradually gained height.  The views back to Ben Oss and Ben Lui were great and higher up you could see over the intervening ridge to Ben More and its neighbours.  It never ceases to amaze me when walking this hill that half way up you find the remains of an old mine …what a place to come and work.  There is still the start of an old shaft cut horizontally into the rock …but it must have proved fruitless because it only goes into the hillside a matter of a few feet.   Beyond this the ground eases and there is a tiny loch perched below the final steep and rock strewn summit.  It is remarkably beautiful here and so quiet.  In fact it was so peaceful that we decided to lie back and have a snooze for half an hour in the warm morning sunshine!  The final few hundred feet to the summit cairn is as I say, steep and strewn with stones, but it makes for a great final ascent and you arrive at the top with three hundred and sixty degree views.  On a day like Tuesday …this meant big views …he air was very clear and even I could see a fair way.  We spent more time sat at the top taking in the peace and quiet and listening to a couple of Ravens as they swooped overhead in the autumn sun.  This really was what was needed after a very busy month …back to the work now but we’re already planning the next outing.

‘Breaking cloud, Beinn Odhar’

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‘Breaking cloud, Beinn Odhar’

‘Breaking cloud, Beinn Odhar’, Acrylic & Pastel, 2012, 30 x 30 cm

This is a recent small acrylic and pastel painting based on a day a few years ago when we walked Beinn Odhar ….a 900 m hill just to the north of Tyndrum in the Southern Highlands.  It is only a short walk to the top ….even I can get there and back in just over four hours, but this is not the point.  It is particularly steep and so is a good short work out ….and is one that offers great views.  Well, it does if the cloud is not down.

On the day that this painting is based on, we started off in damp grey weather and with the cloud well down on the hill. Indeed, all the way up the steep slopes to the summit we saw nothing.  However as we reached the summit we noticed that it had become lighter and although we sat there eating our lunch in mist, we did have the feeling that not too far above our heads the sun was shining.  Sadly it didn’t clear while we were at the top …a real shame as the views are extensive, but as we started to descend the first few hundred feet of steep rock strewn ground, we saw a big break appearing in the cloud.  As we watched the break led to blue sky and we had a glimpse of the hill on the other side of the glen …just sticking out of the cloud.  After a short while the cloud lifted completely and we were suddenly in bright sun with the higher mountains around clearing too.  By the time we were down to the car the sky was completely blue …what a transformation.

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.