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Scottish Landscape Painting | Scottish Landscape Art - Scottish Landscape Paintings

Posts Tagged ‘Scottish Landscape Painting’

‘On Beinn Damh, Torridon’

346 'On Beinn Damh, Torridon', Acrylic & Pastel, 2015, 148 x 210 mm

‘On Beinn Damh, Torridon’, Acrylic & Pastel, 2015, 148 x 210 mm.

This small painting is one of six works I currently have showing in the Art Exposure Gallery on The Great Western Road in Glasgow.  The exhibition ends this weekend so only a couple of days to see it if you haven’t managed to get along so far.

I did this little painting after we climbed Beinn Damh several years ago.  We had hoped to get some superb views but alas the weather didn’t co-operate and for the most part we were following the compass and walking in thick cloud.  That said, we did get this one brief view of the summit but it only lasted for about five minutes at the most.  It was well worth it though and if I’m ever up in this part of the North West Highlands again, I’ll definitely be heading back up this fine mountain.

‘From the SE slopes of Canisp’

From the SE slopes of Canisp, a wet and misty day', Oil  on canvas, Work in progress

‘From the SE slopes of Canisp’, Oil on canvas, 80 x 80 cm
Work in progress

I thought for a change that I’d make this weeks Artwork of the Week an image of a piece of work that is still in progress.

I’ve been working on this painting now for several weeks, gradually building up the layers of thick oil paint. The scene is based on a view we had back in late May when we did a fabulous circular walk up and over Canisp in NW Scotland. The weather that day was really quite wild with low cloud, rain and at times, torrential hail showers ….all interspersed with short bursts of bright sunshine. This was a point where the cloud had descended onto the summits and the weather really matched the wild rugged nature of this rock strewn landscape.

There is still quite a lot of work to be done on this piece but it is getting quite close to what I’m after. If I complete it successfully, it will be the third painting I’ve done based on this walk ….and I’m planning maybe two more.

Festive show time …. a brief guide to where to see my work in the run-up to Christmas

I had planned to use this blog to tell you about my latest plans  to –complete a series of paintings based on the fabulous West Highland Way long distance footpath.  However, with the date already being December 2nd, I thought I’d better let you know exactly where you can see my work in the run-up to Christmas.

Ayrshire

The Waverley Gallery,

144 Main Street, Prestwick, Ayrshire, KA9 1PB

Tel: 01292 477372

waverleygallery@talktalkbusiness.net

I currently have 3 paintings showing at The Waverley Gallery ….this is one of them:

abstract landscape painting

‘Late colours, the Bridge of Orchy Hills, December’

The Harbour Arts Centre,

 114 – 116 Harbour street, Irvine, KA12 8PZ

Tel: 01294 274059

Affordable Art Fair

16th December 2015 – 8th January 2016

I’ll be exhibiting one or two of my framed prints in this group exhibition which will include work by many of my colleagues at the Courtyard Studios.

Courtyard Studio J (my studio!)

128 Harbour Street, Irvine, KA12 8PZ

Tel: 07742 437425

Web: www.keithsalmon.org

I always keep a good stock of finished, framed and unframed works in my studio, along with a range of prints and gift cards.  I am in  most days but as I tend to do a lot of walking it’s always best to ring to check that I’m open before setting off to visit!

Glasgow

Art Exposure Gallery

516 Great Western Road, Glasgow G12 8EL

Tel: 0141 552 7779

Email: frances@artexposuregallery.co.uk

Christmas Show

I have 2 paintings showing in this exhibition …here is an image of one of them:

abstract landscape painting

‘From the eastern shores of Loch Lomond’

Exhibition continues until
Christmas Eve – 3pm,

then open 29th, 30th, 31st December.

 

Edinburgh

“the gallery on the corner”

34 Northumberland Street, Edinburgh EH3 6LS

Tel: 0131 557 8969

The Winter Print Show

December 5th– Dec 23rd

I have 5 framed prints included in this.

Newcastle upon Tyne

The Biscuit Factory

16 Stoddart Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 1AN

Tel: 0191 261 1103

Winter Exhibition

Continues until 28th February 2016

This is one of the 10 pieces of work I currently have showing in this exhibition.

abstract landscape painting

‘Towards Achaladair, winter’

-o-o-o-o-

“A January evening in the North Ayrshire hills”

'A January evening in the North Ayrshire Hills'...from Largs

‘A January evening in the North Ayrshire Hills’

“A January evening in the North Ayrshire hills”, Acrylic & Pastel, 2015, 30 x 30 cm
Price £485.
Price from September 1st 2015, £675

This new painting is based on a very cold early evening back in January a few years ago.  I’d been walking on the hills behind Largs in North Ayrshire with my friend Guy.  The snow was quite deep and very icy and it made for very difficult walking.  As we descended, the setting sun in the west turned the snow a strange coppery pink colour and although it only lasted for about five minutes it was very impressive.

‘Towards the Blackmount, winter’

'Towards the Blackmount, winter', Oil on canvas, 2014, 120 x 120 cm

‘Towards the Blackmount, winter’

 

‘Towards the Blackmount, winter’, Oil on canvas, 2014, 120 x 120 cm

This large oil painting was completed a few weeks ago before my trip to Brazil.  At the time I thought I’d need to leave it for a while to make sure I was happy with it……and the two week long break for the Open Weekend and the flying visit to Brazil, were perfect.  When I got back to the studio a few days ago and saw this painting, I decided that it was indeed finished.

The painting is based on an earlier smaller piece I did several years ago.  I wanted to try and develop the image in this larger painting and have used thick layers of oil paint put down with a large course brush to build up the surface.

This painting will be included in my forthcoming exhibition at the Harbour Arts Centre in Irvine.  The exhibition runs from November 28th 2014 – January 09 2015.  I hope you can get along to see this piece.

Staggering around in the dark!

I sometimes forget just how little I can see ….until that is my PC crashes and I have to try and use this laptop.  It’s not that it’s actually any more difficult to use, it’s just that its different.  The  answer to being visually impaired I think, is routine.  When suddenly what you’re used to is unavailable, things get a whole lot more challenging ….and more importantly, when you’re running a business, time consuming.  You know what they say about time being money ?  As my sight has got worse over the years, small problems with the computer become large ones and I seem to spend more of my time working on the computer than I do on the paintings……or it certainly seems like that!  As an example of this ….I’ve now spent almost an hour and a half just getting this laptop booted up and getting to this point.  Ahhhhh! 

Anyway, I’ll stop my moaning and get on with the blog ….which is far from staggering around in the dark ….it’s about the opposite in fact …..it’s about wandering over the fine little tops of the Pentland Hills the other day.   Our last walk, in the snow around Loch Ossian the other week, was great but we really needed to get a few metres of ascent and descent into our legs this time.  As usual we were looking to follow the best weather and after changing our plans at the last minute, we decided to head over to the east and enjoy our annual visit to the Pentlands.  These hills are not huge in any way but there is a bit of ascent and descent between each one so at the end of the day you feel like you’ve had a good walk.

From Turnhouse Hill

From Turnhouse Hill

The forecast seemed to get it right as after a very wet drive over from Irvine, as we neared the hills, the cloud broke and the sun started to come out.  By the time we’d got the boots on it was looking really good.  At the point where the path starts heading up towards Turnhouse Hill, it takes a small footbridge over a stream and as we crossed, Nita spotted a Dipper sitting on a rock not far away.  It was great as with a few directions I managed to find it with my monocular.   From this point, the path climbs at first gently and then more steeply to reach the top of Turnhouse Hill.  It’s a fabulous view point and I guess, needs to be as by this time the legs are complaining somewhat!   The big views however, continued for the rest of the day as we wandered along the ridge.  Nita could see the two bridges over the Firth of Forth, as well as  Edinburgh airport with the planes coming and going.  It’s quite strange to be up in the hills and yet so close to a city.

Our original plans had  simply been to walk along the ridge to West Kip before descending into the glen and walking back along the single track road  past the two reservoirs.  However, as we approached the summit of Scald Law, (the highest point in this group of hills) I remembered South Black Hill ….a top that rises to the south west of Scald Law and somewhere we’d never been to before.  It seemed well worth a detour and being to the south of the main line of hills, gave some wonderfully different views.  It was about at this point that Nita suggested that instead of walking back along the road in the glen, we go back the way we’d come ….thus giving us a few more metres of ascent and descent.  It seemed like a good idea and made a great little day.  As we got back to the wee footbridge we were given a quick fly-by from the Dipper and on walking the final few hundred metres through the woods to the car park …we were treated to the sound of a woodpecker on one of the trees….what a great way to finish a day.

When I feel like I’m staggering around in the dark using the computer, I just have to remind myself of all the hills I walk and the paintings I paint!

‘From the slopes of Sgorr nam Fiannaidh, Glen Coe’

22-from-the-slopes-of-sgorr-nam-fiannaidh-glen-coe-oil-pastel-2004-2006-85-x-49cm

‘From the slopes of Sgorr nam Fiannaidh, Glen Coe’

‘From the slopes of Sgorr nam Fiannaidh, Glen Coe’, Oil & Pastel, 2004 – 2006, 85 x 49cm,

This is a rather tenuous link to this week’s blog.   In it you’ll read that I’ve just finished a painting that was commissioned by a gentleman we met near the summit of Mam na Gualainn back in August.

The painting shown here however looks out over Loch Leven towards Mam na Gualainn and started off as an oil painting only. About that time I was also experimenting with using pastel with the paint….completing the painting in oil and only once it was dry, working over the surface with an oil pastel. I was pleased with the way it came out in the end and included it as one of the six paintings in my successful 2009 Jolomo Award application.

‘Snow shower, below the east ridge of Ben Lui’

292-snow-shower-below-the-east-ridge-of-ben-lui-acrylic-pastel-2012-80-x-80-cm

‘Snow shower below the east ridge of Ben Lui’

‘Snow shower, below the east ridge of Ben Lui’, Acrylic & Pastel, 2012, 80 x 80 cm

I thought I’d use this winter scene as the artwork of the week this week seeing as it was very cold when I left the studio this afternoon.  It was 3C, blowing a gale and the heavy rain was turning to sleet …..I guess up on the mountains it must have been white and wild!

This painting which is currently in my studio, was based on one of our visits to Ben Lui a number of years ago.  This original 80 x 80 cm painting costs £1250 but it is also available as a high quality reproduction ….see the ‘Buy prints’ section at the top of this page and follow the link.

If the gales calm down over the Christmas week I’m hoping that we might be able to get out for a walk in the hills …and perhaps the snow.  Anyway, however you spend your Christmas break, do have a great  time.

 

‘From Ghlas Beinn, Rannoch moor’

29 'From Ghlas Beinn, Rannoch moor', Acrylic & Pastel, 76 x 23 cm

‘From Ghlas Beinn, Rannoch moor’

‘From Ghlas Beinn, Rannoch moor’, Acrylic & Pastel, 76 x 23 cm

I thought I’d use this painting as my Artwork of the week owing to fact that we were back walking on this hill just last Sunday, (See my latest blog for details and photos).

This painting which is currently in my studio was created after our first visit to the hill a few years ago.  I used quite bold colours in this piece and have always liked it.  Ghlas Bheinn is the high point at the end of a small undulating escarpment that rises on the edge of Rannoch Moor.  Being less than 600 metres high it makes the perfect view point overlooking the moor and surrounded by bigger hills and mountains too.  Its close proximity to the A82 however does mean that despite the wonderful wild situation, you do tend to hear the sound of traffic drifting up to you from the road below.  This shouldn’t put you off though as this really is a little gem of a walk …especially in the winter.

‘Approaching Sgorr Dhearg, above Ballachulish’

253 'Approaching Sgorr Dhearg, above Ballachulish', Acrylic & Pastel, 2012, 30 x 30 cm

‘Approaching Sgorr Dhearg, above Ballachulish’

‘Approaching Sgorr Dhearg, above Ballachulish’, Acrylic & Pastel, 2012, 30 x 30 cm

When we were out walking on Mam na Gualainn last week, we had superb views across Loch Leven to the big range of mountains that sit on the south side of the Ballachulish bridge.  We walked this range on a fine May day back in 2005 and had this fine view as we approached Sgorr Dhearg, one of the two Munros in the range.

I started this painting several years ago but could never quite get it right.  Then last year I dug it out once more and started work on it again …and this was the result.  It’s not an over bright painting or one of an over dramatic scene, but it does I think nicely capture what it’s like to be walking in the hills as the mists come and go around you.

This painting is currently on display at my studio ….visitors are always welcome, although to check that I’m not out walking on yet another hill …it’s always worth giving me a quick call on my mobile first: 07742 437425.

Keith Salmon
Scottish Landscape Painting
Studio J
Courtyard Studios
128 Harbour St
Irvine
Ayrshire KA12 8PZ