High Seas

The first week in September brought wild and windy weather to the North West coast. I spent an exhilarating week at Reiff, near Achiltibuie, marvelling at the high seas crashing into the shores and cliffs.

Inspired by that photo of Joan Airdley painting in a howling gale, I took myself down to the water's edge, sketchbook in hand. Not easy. The wind made my eyes stream, the salt spray clarted my glasses, and my palette blew away.

Not a masterpiece then.

However, back in the garage, I painted "Storm Surge" shown above. The medium is acrylic on a ground of gesso and beach debris.

This is one of a set currently showing in the "Three" exhibition at Beauly Gallery.

Dusk

The first of the winter exhibitions has opened at Inchmore Gallery just outside Inverness.

 For several years the centrepiece has been the "CD collection" where local artists contribute small artworks which are displayed in CD cases. Hung together on a big wall, they make a single fabulous installation.

"Dusk", shown above started life as a painting of the distressed paintwork on a boat but grew into a west coast sunset. It's just 12 cm square.

Cloudburst

Cloudburst, how apt! September has been a month of wild weather.

I spent a couple of arty weeks up in the north west where the wind had whipped up some spectacular seas. If I used the word, I would say it was awesome, but I don't, so I won't.

Later, perhaps, I'll report back on what I did there, but for now I want to mention 2 ART EXHIBITIONS coming up.

First, 28 Highland artists will be exhibiting at the Affordable Art Fair in Nairn Community Hall. The opening is on the Friday evening, 5th October, from 5 till 9pm. All welcome, refreshments, music, and lots of fun.

The Fair will continue on Saturday 6th October from 9 am till 6 pm.

A week later, on Saturday 13th October I am sharing an exhibition with Merrill MacWilliam and Diane Roberts in Crown Church Hall, Inverness. It runs from 10 am till 4pm. There will be a lovely variety of paintings from us 3 local artists, as well as cards and folio artwork.

Moonlit Loch Ness

What to do with an old frayed linen tea towel? Wash, stick on canvas and paint.

Lovely textures and patterns appear. This was painted in acrylic, mostly Prussian Blue which I hadn't used for a while.

The painting is to be exhibited in the Art Society of Inverness Annual Exhibition, held in the Eastgate Centre, Inverness, from Monday 15th July for 2 weeks.

Art around the Firth 2012

Where did the last five months go? Good things, holidays, sad things, family stuff, so not a lot of painting but just enough to keep me going, and almost sane.

The Water's Edge exhibition moved from Edinburgh to Beauly Gallery where it did very well but now that summer is here, in theory anyway, it's time for Art around the Firth. Various Highland artists exhibit annually in galleries around the Beauly Firth.

I have a number of paintings which continue to have a watery theme in Beauly Gallery throughout July and possibly into August. Above you can see an oil painting, "Remains of the Day" and a mixed media work, "Ridge Walking". The latter evokes a tremendous day on the Five Sisters ridge in Kintail.

On the Wall

Water, Water, Everywhere - my big canvas on the wall at the Cameo Cinema Bar in Edinburgh. The paintings look great in this lovely intimate space and the opening last week was a lot of fun.

Loads of family and friends came and big thanks are due to them all. The exhibition lasts for a month and then will move to home ground in the Highlands.

Meanwhile I am about to embark on a new theme, an exploration of parts of Assynt and in particular the  beautiful island of Tanera Mor.

Art at the Cameo Cinema, February 2012

Here are two more paintings from the Water's Edge exhibition.

"Wreck" began life in Cromarty where I chucked ash, sand and various other unidentifiable bits onto gesso on board. The image was developed with oils in the studio.

"Beach" is painted with oil on a small box frame and includes random bits of rusty and burnt stuff, and the odd sparkle. I like a bit of sparkle.

Water's Edge is on at the Cameo Cinema in Edinburgh from February 7th till March 5th 2012.

Water's Edge

An exhibition of my paintings is about to open in Edinburgh. Exciting and scary! The opening is on Tuesday 7th February 2012 between 7 and 9 pm in the Cameo Cinema Bar near Tollcross.

The theme of the oil paintings is "Water's Edge" and is the culmination of several month's work. Inspired by time spent pottering along the shores of the North West Highlands and also Cromarty, the artworks explore the impact on the senses of sun, wind, waves and gusty showers.

As always, I like using texture and pattern. Many of the paintings incorporate bits and bobs from the beach, sand, ash, rusty metal, bits of feather.

Some of the images are recognisably landscapes, others not but they try to capture the feel and emotion of being next to the sea.

This piece, "Out of the Fire" developed from time spent scavenging in old fire pits on the beach. I loved the blackened sticks, the melted glass and plastic, and rusty bits of metal.