Above ‘Achiltibuie 1’. Oil on 5×7″ wood. Rose Strang 2023
It’s been a very experimental time these last few weeks, not least since it’s impossible to find time to paint on a regular basis, or to focus on one subject with all the projects going on. My studio is temporary till next year and consists of a tiny kitchen alcove, until we find a new home somewhere rural where we can stretch out a little. Needless to say I can’t wait, but it’s a laborious process.
The painting above is from a series I’m painting of my impressions of Coigach and Achiltibuie where we stayed for a few days back in May. I’ve always loved the impressions of landscape that remain in imagination after driving through it. One of my favourite artists, Ilse d’Hollander, had a similar approach – she’d cycle through the countryside of Holland, then return to the studio to create semi abstract impressions. A ‘painter’s painter’ as she was described, she wanted to say a lot with little, more about distilled memories of her short journeys. A sense of space, or light, or distance for example.
I particularly enjoyed this short video about her work, beautifully filmed and edited by Gauitier Deblonde …
Despite all the distractions, I must find time to paint a series for the upcoming winter exibition at Limetree for November. I’m also getting together a little project with my friend and collaborator Atzi Muramatsu. I’ll be creating small portraits in oil on wood of Atzi and members of a small string quartet. The quartet will then play for one night at The Scottish Arts club in November. It’ll be a nice little project, meaningful but manageable!
I’m exploring some more abstract approaches at the moment, or mixed media anyway. This piece was created with plastic, cold wax and oils. Quite good fun, it’s good to loosen up – not to always feel you have to stick to the same approach.
‘Waterfall’. Mixed media on 15×15″ wood. Rose Strang 2023
Rose Strang Artworks 