Above. First of June. Forest of Lufness. 4. Oil on 12×12″ canvas. Rose Strang 2025
It’s good to be painting again after a Christmas and new year plagued with Covid then a nasty cough – lots of viruses around this winter! The series is growing gradually –
These 12×12″ canvases are a good way to explore my theme before moving on to larger canvases. More on the theme later this week.
Both of today’s paintings in progress …
Above: Detail from The First of June. Forest of Luffness 3. Oil on 12 x 12″ wood. Rose Strang 2024
I made a few changs today from yesterday’s painting. I think the light’s more coherent, plus Richard’s face is more accurate expression-wise.
I’m awaiting canvases (I was sent the wrong size!) so can’t really move to the next painting till those arrive. Frustrating as I’m into the swing of this series now. I plan to paint around seven at this smaller size, then go onto larger canvases.
More about the series once the new canvases arrive next week …
Above: In progress – First of June. Forest of Luffness 3. Oil on 12 x 12 inch wood. Rose Strang 2024.
It feels good to be getting into the swing of a series for the first time in a while. I’ve created three so far in this First of June series, though today’s panting does need a bit more work ..
A bit more definition would help the painting and a few tweaks on the faces. The figure I’m happiest with is that of Terry Ann Newman (in the foreground with her back to us). Terry is the Deputy Director of the Demarco Trust and a very talented artist, when she finds time to paint. She’s holding a mobile in her hand behind her back, and it’s part of this series that we’re recording and witnessing the day in our different ways – there will be more of that.
I think I’ve managed to capture the feel of Richard’s detemination and physical struggle. I remember on the day in question I was a bit worried Richard might not want to walk the path to the Carmelite friary, because at 94 walking has become a challenge and the path required struggling over uneven ground in a forest for about ten minutes. Richard was characteristically determined however! He took great delight in the dappled light, the architecture of the stonework protecting the effigy and many other aspects of the day.
I think it was partly that he’d been inspired by my description of the ruined Carmelite friary near Aberlady but also, on the day, he was telling us about Pope Pius II who in 1435 walked barefoot in the snow all the way from Dunbar to Whitekirk to give thanks for his survival from a shipwreck in the Firth of Forth.
Whitekirk is just a few miles along the road from Aberlady and apart from the church, St Mary’s (which dates back to the 11th century) it also has a beautiful two-story stone building that served as a hostel for pilgrims travelling from Iona to Lindisfarne. Aberlady was an important stop on the way. After Aberlady and our visit to the Carmelite Friary, we also visited St Mary’s.
Readers of this blog might remember I took part on Landscape Artist of the Year a couple of years ago. It was fairly pointless escapade, frankly, except for meeting some nice folks (the other artists) one of whom was called Gregory Miller (artist website Here). He recently sent me a link to a film called No Greater Love, about a Carmelite Convent in Nottinghill, London.
It’s worth a watch if you’re curious about their lifestyle. The footage and camera-work is Vermeer-like at times – capturing the natural light from windows and candles. It’s very, very quiet for the first half hour, then we get to know some of the nuns, what inspires them and why they’ve taken on this way of life.
It’s viewable on Amazon, not sure where else …
More painting tomorrow.
Below – the complete series Kintail to Ardban created for a three-artist exhibition opening at the Limetree Gallery, Bristol on the 31st of October.
‘Ardban. Forest Rain’. Oil on 19 x 19″ wood. Rse Strang 2020
Today’s painting for the new series which will be on exhibition at the Limetree Gallery Bristol from 31st October.
This is today’s attempt to capture the magical, mossy forests that grow down to the sea along the west coast of Scotland. These remains of ancient oak and birch wood covered all the atlantic coastlines in the past. At Ardban and in other coastal areas such as Ardnamurchan, Moidart and Applecross these beautiful mossy forests of indiginous oak, birch and rowan still flourish. You can easily imagine them to be inhabited with dryads, sprites and the like!
I finish the series tomorrow if all goes to plan, not that there’s much of a plan but it would be great to finish these by Sunday then I can extract all the oil paint from my finger nails, clothes and floor!
More paintings tomorrow …
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!
Rose Strang Artworks 