Today’s paintings for the Iona Series for the Limetree Gallery, Bristol, showing a seagull landing on the shore at St Ronan’s Bay, the north beach in misty weather, and the view across to Mull from the north beach.
If you’re in Edinburgh this Saturday 11th Aug’, the Citadel Bookshop is celebrating its birthday with refreshments, readings and music from 10am to 5pm.
The shop is on Montrose Terrace, Abbeyhill (map below) and is run by poet Alan Spence and his wife Janini.
I also have a few of my paintings on display there (from the Wells of Arthur’s Seat project, a couple of paintings from the series below).
So there you are, that’s several reasons to drop by this Saturday! You’ll be sure of a warm welcome from Alan and Janini. It’s a peaceful haven from the frenetic Fringe 🙂
‘Wells of Arthur’s Seat, Stream’ Mixed media on 10 x 10 inch wood panel. Rose Strang 2018 £180
‘Wells of Arthur’s Seat, Swimming Toad, Hunter’s Bog’ Mixed media on 16 x 13 inch wood panel. Rose Strang 2018 £250
 Above, more works in progress for the Iona series.
The third one directly above (blue sea with turquoise highlights in sunset) will express something of a more personal experience on Iona when I’m finished with it. I think the other two are more about the incredible colours, which make their impression on everyone when they first visit the island.
I’ve mentioned the Scottish Colourists in my last post – I think every artist has to be aware of their creative impression of the island. That doesn’t change the fact that as an artist you feel the impetus to respond to those colours, but I suppose I want to show different impressions if I can. More paintings to follow in the next few days…
This proving to be the strangest summer – first on Iona in a tent, with slugs, spiders, wind and rain, now in the manicured and comfortably-off lawns of Barnton in north-west Edinburgh. (Having rented out my flat in Edinburgh for the July/August I’d planned to stay in a cottage up north but a few changes came up, so I’m staying in the former home of my niece’s partner’s grandad (where my niece and partner also stayed recently) while they travel around Europe – everyone’s a bit out of their usual place at the moment!)…
This area is where many comfortably-off folks tend to retire – ultra peaceful and, to me anyway, quite strange. The area is bristling with vast golf courses all the way down to Crammond Village, hedged off everywhere. ‘Do not trespass’ signs abound, but the expanses of green and lack of noise brings in local wildlife – yesterday evening a roe deer walked past the french window and today three squirrels decided to explore the living room, it’s ‘Bambi’-meets-suburbia.
Maybe my recent tent experience had something to do with it, but the only way I could sleep last night was on a carry-mat on the living room floor next to the open french window!
It’s interesting to be out of my comfort zone – no distractions for the moment which makes me focus on painting, but more than that it challenges me to deal with odd circumstances (yes, I know – pretty first world challenges!) but it means perhaps I’m more alert, less subjective – taken out of my usual mind-set, or something like that.
On my way back from Iona the train was delayed near Dalmally – a west Highland Idyll of mountains which was particularly idyllic on that day as the weather was so unusually hot and the skies were cloudless so you could see the mountains all the way to the summits in their green summeriness. The station platform had doors leading off to rooms titled ‘Writer’s Retreat’ or ‘Wool-worker’s Studio’ – people there had made their own unique environment and changed all expectations of a railway platform. I chatted to someone who worked on luxury yachts then, for complete contrast, headed into the wildest Highland mountains for a few months each year to live off the land from fishing and snares, without even a tent!
All these differing habitats – there’s something there that inspires me very much. I look forward to Iona in winter this year (as mentioned in my previous post there’s a space for artists there in winter).
Enough havering, more paintings tomorrow …
‘Portrait of Richard Demarco’. Blackboard paint, gesso and pencil on 36×36 inch wood panel. Rose Strang, January 2018
Above, my portrait (created in January this year) of Richard Demarco.
I submitted this for the Scottish Portrait Awards but wasn’t successful. I didn’t feel too disappointed about this though, since most artists who submitted work are dedicated portrait artists (and my usual work is landscape) also those shortlisted are very talented.
I do think it’s a good portrait though! So I’m submitting it for another exhibition and will see what happens in the next month or so.
Here is the official description of the portrait …
This portrait of Richard Demarco is my response to his dedication to meaningful art and its potential role in society. Like many people involved in the arts in Scotland or beyond I’ve worked and been involved with the Demarco Foundation in many ways, over the years.
The portrait began with sketches of Richard in person at Summerhall, which were then worked up later in my studio. The backdrop of the portrait is a wood panel painted with blackboard paint, the portrait itself is painted free-hand with gesso, on Richard’s left is a rough copy of Beuy’s drawing of a stag, its antlers reach up to the pencil drawing (more visible when viewed in person) of three telegraph poles representing the road to Meikle Seggie.
I wanted to capture the qualities of courage and determination, also a certain humour, but ultimately I hope this portrait expresses renewal of faith in art in the most challenging circumstances – the concept of art as a healing force that might encourage dialogue and understanding across boundaries of place and prejudice.
More info on Richard Demarco CBE, and the Demarco European Art Foundation Here
Above – another finished painting for the new series of the Isle of Iona for the Limetree Gallery in Bristol.
Below – a couple more in progress..
I’m now back in Edinburgh having realised I’d never get the series finished on time with the weather being so changeable, it was pretty tiring, also some of my paintbrushes and palette knives disintegrated in the damp conditions, I did slightly too!
I’m fairly happy with the one above of sea and rocks at the north end. The rock there is impossibly black, with white barnacles, against impossibly turquoise sea and white sand ..
I spoke to a woman on Iona called Fiona Menzies whose PHD specialised in Ionian geology, so it’s time to get your anorak and cords on now, as I explain how the rocks were made ( or just skip to the paragraph beginning ‘the Colourists if geology bores you).
A billion years ago rocks were formed here from the sediments of seas and lakes ( sedimentary rocks). These were crushed under enormous pressure because of the fault that lies between Mull and Iona in the middle of what’s called The ‘Sound of Iona’ (in my boat painting in the previous post you’re looking across the sound to the Isle of Mull from Bail Mor, Iona’s village).
The fault meant that at one time the land mass of Mull was on top of Iona. This crushed the sedimentary rocks until they metamorphosed or slightly cristalised, which caused what’s known as cleavage- they separated into thin, hard-baked layers.
Finally when the plates shifted again, the rocks were thrust upwards to create the weird shapes you see now.
The landscape, with white caster sugar-like sand, jet black rocks and luminous sea looks fantastical to me – like something from ancient myth. Then you have the silvery soft light which makes everything stand out so intensely, as though you’ve entered a slightly different dimension.
I’m ranting on a bit (joining thousands of others who rant on about Iona) but this is why one painting trip isn’t enough.
The Colourists – Peploe and Cadell – had the right idea; they stayed at a house called Lagandorain on the north end of Iona. As it happens my mum and sister stayed at the hostel there when they came out to visit me for a couple of days and I met the guy who owns Lagandorain now, he’s called John, he designed and built the lovely hostel (with huge window overlooking the north end) and runs it as a hostel during the warmer months then as an artist’s residence during winter.
When he told me there’s also a huge barn where you can make a mess with larger works I got excited (take note, those who create artist retreats with nice clean scandi-style rooms where you’re scared to wear muddy boots never mind splash paint about!) Â I’ll definitely book a place there this winter – there’s so much more I want to explore arts-wise on Iona.
More paintings to follow soon..
((Above) painting in progress. There are a few more but it takes aeons to upload as the connection is v slow here
Tent-life has been a challenge these past few days – high winds and rain which made a good night’s sleep (and painting,) impossible!
As soon as things calmed a bit I managed a couple of paintings which I’ll continue today
It’s interesting living an outdoors life while working and with no resources and very few contacts – a barn would be kind of useful, but in the meantime I’ve set up a storage tent.
I’ve befriended a toad which lives under the tent, and someone in human form called (appropriately) Iona Cameron, who works for Iona abbey for Historic Scotland. She amusingly described my camping area as a ‘settlement’!
Will try to post more soon …
Today’s studio on the north beach 🙂
Day 3 on the Isle of Iona on the west coast of Scotland where I’ll be painting till 30th July.
It’s a very patchy connection but I’ll attempt blog posts of paintings in progress while here! This series is for the September exhibition at the Limetree Gallery in Bristol. Continue reading
Citadel Bookshop, on Montrose Terrace, Abbeyhill, Edinburgh
Paintings from the ‘Wells of Arthur’s Seat’ series will be on exhibition at the Citadel Bookshop, Edinburgh, from now to mid-August (see map below).
I’m really pleased about this as it’s great to have the paintings viewable ‘in the flesh’ as it were – especially as I’ll be away up north for the whole of July, so they wouldn’t otherwise have been on exhibition.
You can see the paintings online Here
And here’s a map showing the location of the Citadel Bookshop ..
The Citadel is run by poet Alan Spence and his wife Janani and is open 1pm to 5pm Monday to Saturday (closed Sundays). Drop by for a chat (they’re both very friendly!) and enjoy a peruse of their excellent book collection, which includes many rare or unusual poetry editions among an eclectic selection of general literature.
Alan Spence
You’ll likely find several books relating to spirituality, meditation and Zen practice since Alan and Janani ran the Sri Chinmoy Meditation Centre in Edinburgh a while back. (read an interview with Alan in the Scottish Review of Books Here )
Alan was named Edinburgh’s Makar in 2018 (Makar is the Scots word for learned poet). His work explores Japanese culture and spirituality, including Zen traditions and Haiku poetry. In recognition of this, Alan was recently awarded the Decoration of the Order of the Rising Sun by the Government of Japan).Â
I collaborated with Alan and cellist Atzi Muramatsu on the ‘Wells of Arthur’s Seat’ project these last two months. It was a pleasure to work with Alan for the first time – he and Atzi (with whom I’ve collaborated since 2013) brought much creative sensitivity and invention to the project.
I recommend a watch of the 2-minute video below, which features poetry, cello and painting about a frog in Hunter’s Bog on Arthur’s Seat ..
‘Wells of Arthur’s Seat, Swimming Toad, Hunter’s Bog’ Mixed media on 16 x 13 inch wood panel. Rose Strang 2018 £250
I found time to edit this two-minute video – ‘Frog’ – featuring poetry and cello music by Alan Spence and Atzi Muramatsu, and my painting – ‘Swimming Frog, Hunter’s Bog’Â – (more info below vid) ..
This was part of the launch event of ‘Wells of Arthur’s Seat’, which has been an incredibly rich experience – learning the history of the wells and their significance, collaborating with Alan and Atzi who responded with such artistic sensitivity to the ideas.
And of course the idyllic mid-summer’s night music performance on the summer solstice, at St Anthony’s Chapel on Arthur’s Seat, by the talented and wonderful Dominic Harris and Riley Briggs.
Watch my little vid of the evening here –
It’s a great parting note on which to leave Edinburgh for my up-coming painting trip to the Isle of Iona, where I’ll be painting purely en plein air, as they say, for a month, from a tent. The island is meaningful to me as I’ve been going there since I was 20 (back in the far mists of time!)Â so I’ll post on that soon.
Thanks again to everyone involved in this last project, I think it will yield further fruit in future!
Rose Strang Artworks 