'Blackmount, Autumn'
‘Blackmount, autumn’, Acrylic & Pastel, 2007, 76 x 23 cm
A couple of years ago we travelled up to visit an old friend and colleague (the sculptor Keith Barrett) who was undertaking a huge commission in Inverness. It was late October and the weather had taken its first steps towards winter and had gone decidedly cold. We set off early taking the slightly longer but more scenic route up the shores of Loch Lomond, and through Glen Coe to reach the Great Glen which we followed through Fort William to Inverness.
As we reached Loch Lomond and the first hills it became apparent that we’d not be seeing too much that day. Thick banks of low grey cloud hung to the tops and sides of all the hills, occasionally breaking to give a glimpse of brightness from the early morning sun …but not really promising much. As we reached the higher hills around Crianlarich Anita spotted through breaks in the cloud, snow on the upper slopes ….but I never saw this. Then further on as the A82 climbs up onto Blackmount and Rannoch Moor, I caught my first sight of it. A thick belt of cloud was starting to break up and clear, revealing the snow covered tops of Beinn Toaig and it’s higher neighbour Stob a’ Choire Odhair.
There always a great thrill in seeing the first snow of the coming winter …the long summer days are well gone and the short more challenging days and conditions are upon us. Sadly the cloud didn’t continue to lift and this brief view of the hills was the best I got that day…. definitely worthy of a painting I thought.
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