Colour Blast

Earlier in the year, I had a fabulous walk in Glen Torridon, way round the back of Liatach and Ben Eighe. It was one of those chilly but gorgeously sunny days of March.

The mountains and valleys here are on a grand scale which is always emphasised when the tops are snow covered. The views were absolutely stunning and, after my sojourn in epic New Zealand,  reminded me of how great our Scottish scenery can be.

This bold painting is a contrast to the monochrome series that is showing in Beauly Gallery. It was painted in acrylic immediately after my return from  Torridon and tries to capture both the joy and the icy nature of the day.

The painting will be in Leakey's Bookshop and Cafe in Inverness till mid August.

Light and Dark

I always like to use a limited palette but recent work has explored a very limited palette.

These small, 20 x 20 cm canvases are painted with acrylic on a gesso ground.

Some simply use Paynes Grey, Cerulean and white, then with others, I splashed out and added some Alizarin. (Aren't these colour titles just delicious at times?)

These landscapes try to capture the feel of the North West Highlands  in the intensely bright light that breaks through from time to time.

Five of these small paintings are in the May exhibition at Beauly Gallery.

Bonjour La Baule

La Baule in France is twinned with Inverness, Scotland, and is about to host an exhibition of artwork that features artists from both towns.

The ASI, Art Society of Inverness, sent over a selection of members' work, including the painting above. This is a mixed media piece showing a stormy sea, something those in La Baule are probably very familiar with.

The exhibition opens in La Baule on 10th April and runs till the 23rd April 2013. Bonne chance!

Arty Applecross

One of my most favourite places is Applecross, a wee village in Wester Ross.

To get there the journey is epic, either over the highest pass in Britain, the Bealach na Ba, or by the long and winding coast road from the north. Both have the most stunning vistas on a clear day, and last weekend was perfect, give or take the odd moor fire.

Applecross is worth it for the sea views alone but there are other good reasons to go there.

The Applecross Inn is justly famed for its food, beer and welcome. Take your drink outside and take in the fabulous sight of the Cuillins.

However this is not a travel promo, I'm here to talk art. The artwork in the photo has been produced by pupils at the local primary school and decorates the Applecross community petrol pumps. Surely the most novel gallery in the Highlands.

Across the road is a The Coal Shed, a little art and craft shop. It's run by two local artists and stuffed full of lovely things.

There's loads here to inspire me. I've come home with sketches and photos and lots of ideas buzzing around my head.

Back in the Studio

Have been below the radar for a bit. So low that I've been upside down in Kiwi land where some of my family live. I had a fabulous couple of months there and despite being surrounded by incredible scenery did very little art work. It's all simmering away in the brain though.

So now I'm back in the studio and  searching for a new direction. 

Having gone through my "dark period", not universally loved, I'm now exploring colour. I continue to love texture and general messiness.

The painting above, entitled "Raindrops keep Falling", was mostly executed during a very wet day on the north-west coast , and through the mucky window of a garage. A few finishing touches and it's now on the wall in Leakey's Bookshop and Cafe. 

If you haven't been to Leakey's in Inverness yet, it's a great second hand bookshop that usually has a roaring fire in the woodburner. Perfect for this time of year, or indeed any other season in the Scottish Highlands.

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.