Worked in mixed media on wood over eight days mostly while camped on Iona in May, these are studies of the island’s shores. The Gaelic titles, among them Tràigh Bhàn nam Manach, the White Beach of the Monks, and Caol Ì, the Sound of Iona, anchor the work to a landscape steeped in story. This is the shore where Columba, Calum Cille, made his peregrinatio, and where the Scottish Colourists later found their own inspiration.

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B L O G  L I N K S

 

Every time I walk on to the ferry and watch the island approach, it feels like I’m entering a different realm, somewhere magical and sacred … Iona 1

This little bar of bright sand viewed from Tràigh Bàn Nam Manach (White Strand of the Monks) is very familiar to anyone from Iona, or anyone who’s visited … Iona 2

It was quite challenging conditions with the sands crumbling beneath me and waves splashing against the rocks as the tide came in … Iona 3

Calum Cille was a powerful figure … Iona 4

Back in 2018 I was painting within the very rocks on which the monks were killed, and I didn’t ‘pick up’ on anything dark there at all … Iona 5

There’s something so compelling about wave watching … Iona 6

It’s said that Hebridean sailors and fishermen refused to go to sea without a green stone in their pocket … Iona 7

I’ve often wondered how far back Iona’s inhabitants can be traced. I wonder if there was a significant village here when Calum Cille arrived. If so, are there traces of those original people on the island? … Iona 8

 

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