Many thanks to Vivien Devlin, writer for the Edinburgh Guide, for this lovely review of The Green Woods Free:
‘Green Woods Free’ review
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Monthly Archives: July 2015
Exhibition preview
Last night’s preview went really well, lots of familiar faces and new faces, it was lovely to meet everyone and it’s always interesting to see how people respond to paintings ‘in real life’.
The exhibition continues until the 23rd July. I’ll be in there every day so feel free to drop in and say hello. It’s 25 Howe Street, Edinburgh, EH3 6TF.
Many thanks to Atzi Muramatsu for the beautiful cello performance, I’ll add a video of that in the next few days.
Thanks to everyone for coming along and a huge thank you to those who bought paintings!
A few photos..
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- ‘Hawk’ on exhibition
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- Borders Country, Whitespace Gallery 2015
Video of painting ‘Hawk’.
‘Hawk, River Tweed 3’. Mixed media on 40×40″ wood panel
Today’s painting – ‘the largest version of ‘Hawk, River Tweed’.
I decided to video the process of painting this one (link below) and was looking for suitable music to accompany it, so I was delighted when a friend, Jane Gardner, offered one of her own compositions for piano. It’s called ‘Oceans’, and it really adds drama and interest to the video. Thanks Jane!
‘The Green Woods Free’
Below are all works that will be included in this Friday’s exhibition (details here)
The Green Woods Free
Preview Evening: Friday 17th July, 7 – 9pm (including live cello performance by composer/cellist Atzi Muramatsu)
Whitespace@25 Howe Street, Edinburgh, EH3 6TF
Exhibition continues until 23rd July (open every day 10am to 5pm)
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- ‘Hawk. River Tweed 2’. Acrylic on 20×16″ canvas. Rose Strang 2014
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- ‘Scots Pine and Overhanging Rock (River Tweed)’. Acrylic on 20×16″ canvas. Rose Strang 2014
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- ‘Glentress’. Acrylic on 20×16″ canvas. Rose Strang 2014
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- Sold. ‘Glentress Forest 2’. Acrylic on 20×16″ canvas. Rose Strang 2014
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- ‘Glentress Forest, Mist’. Mixed media on 20×16″ canvas. Rose Strang 2014
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- Sold. ‘Birch Trees, Gladhope’. Mixed Media on 40×30″ canvas. Rose Strang 2014
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- ‘Moffat Hills 4’. Acrylic on 20×16″ canvas
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- ‘Moffat Hills 3’. Acrylic on 20×16″ canvas
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- ‘Scots Pine near Coldingham’. Mixed media on 20×16″ canvas. Rose Stranfg 2014
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- Sold. ‘Hawk, River Tweed 3’. Mixed media on 40×40″ wood. Rose Strang 2014
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- Sold. ‘Blue Canoe (River Tweed)’. Acrylic on 10×10″ wood panel
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- Sold. ‘Wood Cabin, (Leithen)’. Acrylic and varnish on 10×10″ wood. Rose Strang 2014
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- ‘Neidpath Castle on the River Tweed’. Mixed media on 10×10″ wood panel. Rose Strang 2014
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- (not available) ‘Moffat Hills (2)’. Acrylic and ink on 10×10″ wood panel
Borders Country Day 23
‘Moffat Hills 3’. Acrylic on 20×16″ canvas
‘Glentress Forest, Mist’. Mixed media on 20×16″ canvas
Today’s paintings – a misty view day in Glentress forest and shadows chasing across sunlit Moffat hills.
Quite difficult to capture the subdued colours in misty weather, and the way it lends a sort of silence. I might do a bit more work on these two but they’re almost there.
I’ve started on the huge hawk painting (40×40 inches) and I’m filming the process since people seem to like watching artists painting! I remember painting on the beach at North Berwick one day, and a teacherly woman stalked up behind me, watched me for a minutes then said dryly ‘ha’ and walked away. Most encouraging!
Borders Country Day 22
‘Birch Trees, Gladhope’. Mixed Media on 40×30″ canvas
Birch Trees updated. I felt it needed more contrast and texture. I think it’s pretty much finished now. I just have the largest painting on panel to complete, and I’ve started on this smaller painting…
In progress..
Five days now until the exhibition launch at Whitespace Howe St! Four days really as the paintings must be hung in the gallery, wine ordered and so on.
Here are a few photos of the gallery, also one of composer/cellist Atzi Muramatsu contemplating paintings last year at Howe Street (he’ll be performing cello again at the launch this Friday, which I’m really looking forward to. I’ll make sure I record everything and will post it here in a week or so – all details Here)
I love painting for a living, but it’s quite a financial roller coaster – a constant boom and bust that’s pretty unpredictable. After a month-long flu and lung infection earlier this year I was diagnosed with quite severe anaemia, so the rest of this year has been all about recovering and catching up. I don’t know what I’d have done without friends and family to help out. Much love to you and a huge, heartfelt, thank you!
Borders Country Day 21
Today’s painting, Birch trees on a larger canvas of 40×30 inches.
I went a bit Jackson Pollock with some household undercoat paint, which was fun. I wanted to capture an early spring sort of light, more delicate and gentle.
Lots of admin’ to do for the exhibition so I don’t have much time to elaborate! I hope you’re all enjoying the summer weather.
Studio photo, people have said they like these so I’ll post one each day..
Borders Country Day 20
Getting together a body of work now, so I can see it taking shape and the general feel the exhibition will have.
I did a bit more work on ‘Wood Cabin, Leithen’ and I’m a bit happier with the reflections –
‘Wood Cabin, (Leithen) 2’. Acrylic on 20×16″ canvas
Today’s experimentations (I can see a nice muddy stream emerging in the bigger work and might bring that out a bit)
In progress. 40×30″ canvas
In progress (20×16″ canvas)
Serendipitous effects in this one as it’s painted over an earlier painting (‘St Abbs’ – I wasn’t happy with the postcard view feel of it). The texture beneath created the horizontal lines at the top when lightly brushed over.
As you can see I’m painting more and typing less, I’m off to make dinner now!
Borders Country Day 19
‘Wood Cabin, (Leithen) 2’. Acrylic on 20×16″ canvas
Today’s painting, a larger version of the wood cabin at Leithen. Also a new start on yesterday’s forest painting (left). I painted over the original as it just didn’t seem to have the right feel I was looking for, it was too predictable.
I’m seeing this first Borders series as experimentation into what I want to capture about the Borders, hence the range of approaches! I think the more successful paintings are those where I’ve become more free with the paintbrush, but that requires a lot of familiarity with the subject.
There’s something quite satisfying about white-washing a painting I’m not 100% satisfied with, then starting again. There’s a metaphor in there somewhere, but I’m starting to feel a bit exhausted with all the concentration! The bigger paintings are definitely more of an effort physically.
Just one week till the exhibition launches! Details here – https://rosestrangartworks.wordpress.com/2015/06/03/new-exhibition/
Borders Country Series
Below are all available paintings from the Borders Series and exhibition, The Green Woods Free, which continues until the 23rd July
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- ‘Hawk. River Tweed 2’. Acrylic on 20×16″ canvas. Rose Strang 2014
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- ‘Scots Pine and Overhanging Rock (River Tweed)’. Acrylic on 20×16″ canvas. Rose Strang 2014
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- ‘Glentress’. Acrylic on 20×16″ canvas. Rose Strang 2014
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- ‘Glentress Forest, Mist’. Mixed media on 20×16″ canvas. Rose Strang 2014
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- Sold. ‘Birch Trees, Gladhope’. Mixed Media on 40×30″ canvas. Rose Strang 2014
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- ‘Moffat Hills 4’. Acrylic on 20×16″ canvas
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- ‘Moffat Hills 3’. Acrylic on 20×16″ canvas
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- ‘Scots Pine near Coldingham’. Mixed media on 20×16″ canvas. Rose Stranfg 2014
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- Sold. ‘Hawk, River Tweed 3’. Mixed media on 40×40″ wood. Rose Strang 2014
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- (not available) ‘Moffat Hills (2)’. Acrylic and ink on 10×10″ wood panel
Rose Strang Artworks 