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Blairmore Gallery near Dunoon | Scottish Landscape Art - Scottish Landscape Paintings

Posts Tagged ‘Blairmore Gallery near Dunoon’

‘Crossing to Harris, a damp April evening’

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‘Crossing to Harris, a damp April evening’

‘Crossing to Harris, a damp April evening’, Acrylic & Pastel, 2013, 76 x 23 cm

I’ve just finished this painting and it’s the first time I’ve tried to paint a scene based on the sea.  As you’ll probably remember, we travelled over to the Isle of Harris earlier this year for a couple of weeks of walking and relaxing.  We caught the evening ferry from Uig on the Isle of Skye and sat watching the grey waters go by while looking through the mist and spray for the isles to appear.  I’ve already completed a couple of large graphite drawings based on this scene but wanted to try and capture something of it in paint.

I’m planning on taking this piece to the framer on Monday and may well give it an airing in my forth coming exhibition at Blairmore Gallery near Dunoon ….opens Tuesday 27th August and runs until Saturday 5th October.  More information about this exhibition shortly.

Getting the work into place

'Towards the eastern shores of Loch Lomond, spring'

‘Towards the eastern shores of Loch Lomond, spring’
Now available at Blairmore Gallery, £285

As we’re now getting towards the run-up to Christmas it’s been important that I get work in place with the galleries that show my paintings.  Last week as you know, we delivered paintings to the Framework Gallery in Troon and The Strathearn Gallery in Crieff.  This week started with a visit down to the Waverley Gallery in Prestwick to collect two new paintings that they’d framed for me.  As well as getting work out to galleries, it is important that I also have a good selection of work on the walls in my studio.  As you know, when I’m working at the Courtyard Studios, visitors are always welcome ….if you live in the area please do feel free to call in…..these newly framed paintings are already hanging on the studio wall.

On Wednesday we travelled up to Blairmore Gallery near Dunoon.  It really wasn’t a beautiful day and we drove in low dark mist and rain most of the way.  Strangely though there wasn’t any wind and the ferry crossing was very calm.  When we arrived we got a warm welcome from Sylvia and Steve and a cup of their excellent coffee too.  I left three of my small ‘postcard’ sized paintings with them this time, hoping that these small pieces might be seen by someone as a good special little gift ….fingers crossed.  As usual you can get information on Blairmore Gallery by clicking on the link in the ‘Galleries that show my work’ section at the side of this page.

‘From the slopes of Beinn Griam Beg, Sutherland’
‘Now available at ‘The Gallery on the Corner’ £620

Yesterday we did the trip through to Edinburgh to deliver a couple of replacement paintings to ‘The Gallery on the Corner’.  In the last couple of months they had kindly sold two pieces of mine and so I was keen to give them a couple of replacements.  When we arrived the gallery was looking splendid.  Paul and his gallery staff had been working very hard to get it ready for their latest exhibition ….the preview was in the evening.  The work on display looked so fresh and interesting ….this gallery is so worth a visit …there are some beautiful pieces of work on display.  Again, you can get details of the gallery by clicking the appropriate link at the side of this page.  If you live in Edinburgh and want to see some examples of my work, then ‘The Gallery on the Corner’ is the one place where you’ll see it in the city.

'On Ben Lui, winter'

‘On Ben Lui, winter’
‘Now available at my studio. £420

Interestingly both Blairmore Gallery and The Gallery on the Corner have asked me to hold an exhibition with them next year ….so that’s two things to look forward to.  I’ll post full details of these exhibitions once dates are finalised.  In the meantime however, both galleries have a small selection of my paintings to see.

Our final trip won’t take place until the end of next week.  I’ve arranged to travel down to Kirkcudbright to change over the work I have at The Scottish Showcase Gallery.  I’m not quite sure which pieces I’ll be taking but I’ll get full information to you in the next couple of weeks.  Now though, it’s time to get back to the studio and enjoy some more actual painting.  Hope you can get along to see my work at one of the galleries or my studio.  If you’re planning to visit the studio, give me a quick call first to check I’m not out walking on a hill!  You can contact me on: 07742 437425.

Back and busy

Anita near the summit of Ben Loyal

Anita near the summit of Ben Loyal

Well, as the title says, I’m back from Sutherland ….and it’s been a busy week.

Our holiday up north ended in grand style with our finally walking Ben Loyal on our last day.  It turned out to be a long day …eleven and three quarter hours to be exact and we got back to the car about a quarter past eight in the evening.  It was worth every minute though, despite it being another cold and for a large part of the day, grey affair.  We had the routine heavy snow shower at the top which we sat out, sheltering for about 45 minutes behind one of the huge rocks that mark the top of this wonderful hill.  After that we wandered along its broad summit ridge before finally descending from Carn Tionail and walking back to the car.  As I say, it was a long day and a lot of it over very rough ground.  It was amazing and when the sun finally came out in the early evening, it made for a perfect way to end the holiday.

Rough ground below Ben Loyal

Rough ground below Ben Loyal

Evening sun, Ben Loyal

Evening sun, Ben Loyal

Of course, it’s been hot and sunny most of  the time since we returned to Irvine and so despite being pretty busy this week, we still decided to get out walking again …this time to walk a couple of hills in the Southern Highlands.  One of them, Cam Chreag (884 m), sits quite a long way off the road and so we’ve never visited it before.  The walk in to it though was along a good track and through some stunning scenery with the Munro Ben Challum rising steeply above us on the other side of the glen.

Like many of the hills in this area, Cam Chreag is a mainly grass covered hill in the form of a long broad ridge.  The ridge is littered with small crags and rocky outcrops.  By the time we gained this height it was a very warm and sunny day …the early morning cloud having disappeared to leave a hazy and hot landscape.  It was so peaceful up there, no other walkers and far enough from any road to be perfectly quiet …and we had time enough to lie down in the sun and have a kip for almost an hour …perfect.  The route back took us over a neighbouring hill Beinn Chaorach ….another high grass covered ridge offering easy and relaxing walking.  It turned out to be another long day though …almost eleven and a half hours this time and in the heat we were both pretty tired.

Ben Challum from Beinn Chaorach

Ben Challum from Beinn Chaorach

On Cam Chreag

On Cam Chreag

Ben Challum from Cam Chreag

Ben Challum from Cam Chreag

Apart from the walk, this week has been one of painting and delivering and collecting paintings.  On Wednesday we popped down to the Waverley Gallery in Prestwick to collect four of the new small postcard sized paintings that they were framing for me.  Then up to the Dick Institute in Kilmarnock to collect the paintings that had been in the ‘Six into 12 plus Hornell’ exhibition.  Today we’ve been up to the Blairmore Gallery near Dunoon to deliver some new paintings and collect some old ones.  It was another hot day and the drive along the Firth of Clyde and the short hop on the ferry over to Dunoon, was very enjoyable.   Tomorrow we’re heading up to The Strathearn Gallery in Crieff to deliver five paintings for their forthcoming ‘summer exhibition’. ….Full details to come.

Finally, just to let you know that a number of the artists at the Courtyard Studios in Irvine will be holding an informal ‘Open Studios Weekend’ on Saturday / Sunday 2nd / 3rd June, as part of the Irvine Harbourside Cultural Festival.  There are a lot of events being organised at venues along the harbour so it should make for an interesting few days.  Our studios will be open:

Saturday 2nd June,11am – 5pm

Sunday   3rd June, 12 noon – 5pm

Entry as usual is free.

Artists taking part include, Alison Thomas (painting), Anita Groves (ceramics), Margaret Carslaw (painting), David Reid (painting), Sheila Kerr (jewellery), Chick McGeehan (painting), Brian Craig (painting & photography) and myself, Keith Salmon (painting).

So then, if you live in the region why not head down to the harbour side in Irvine that weekend and call into the Courtyard Studios …it is a great opportunity to see and buy the latest work.

A short piece about very little….but with one bit of good news.

'Misty morning, Goat Fell from near Brodick'

'Misty morning, Goat Fell from near Brodick'

Some weeks are I guess, like this. Not much has happened really. We’ve not been away walking anywhere and have spent much of the time working. The thing is, I haven’t actually finished any paintings, or got any to a stage that I’d really want to show at the moment! But painting, (at least for me) is like that. Sometimes I just have to keep plodding on even if it does mean for the best part of a week, painting the wrong colours, putting the paint down in the wrong place and generally making a bit of a mess of things. I say to myself that this is where I learn but when I stand back and look at what I’ve done over the last few days, I’m not really sure if I’m convincing myself let alone anyone else. One thing though, is that I do know I will work my way through this little period and it’s so much easier working through it when you have a studio to work in.

'Heavy showers, October, Beinn Inverveigh'

'Heavy showers, October, Beinn Inverveigh'

Before I got this studio at the Courtyard, I was working from a room in the house. This was fine while the work was going well, but when I hit a difficult period like I have this week; it suddenly became even more difficult. What I mean is that when you’re working at home you can easily get distracted. You find that the thought of doing the washing or cleaning the bathroom, is far more interesting than tackling the problem of a difficult painting …..and so you put it off. When you have a studio and you know you’re down there for the day …well, there’s nothing for it but keep on plodding on …and on …and maybe swearing a little or throwing the paintbrush down in disgust …but you are confronting the problem and that is the important thing I think. This reminds me though, that we currently have several spaces available for rent at the Courtyard Studios in Irvine ….so, if you’re someone living in the area that has been thinking about getting a studio …why not come down and have a look at what’s available? You can check out details by contacting WASPS …see the link to their website at the side of this page.

'On the east ridge of Ben Lui, spring'

'On the east ridge of Ben Lui, spring'

So then, not much to report from my studio but I have just seen that Blairmore Gallery near Dunoon is to be re opening again shortly. Sadly one of the owners was seriously assaulted earlier this year and so they’ve been unable to open this year so far. Anyway, as I say, the good news is that he is now on the road to recovery and according to their website they’ll be back open in a few weeks time. They currently have three or four of my paintings but once I’m back from our trip I’ll see if I can arrange to go up and collect the old work and leave four of the new post card sized paintings for them. If you can get along once they’re open it will as I’ve said in the past, make for a good time. As well as having a good range of work, they also do excellent coffee and food. If you go along before I change the work over you’ll get to see the three paintings shown here. Check out the link to the Blairmore Gallery website on the right hand side of this page for the exact date they reopen. Best of luck to Steve, Sylvia and Bex ….don‘t work too hard but I hope you have a very good summer season. See you all soon.