Tag Archives: Scottish artists

Winter Still Lifes 2

Winter mood

Above: November II. Oil on 12 by 9 inch wood panel.

These are three little winter studies of interiors, a temporary change of scene from landscapes (details below also showing frames)

These will be on exhibition at The Lime Tree Gallery, Bristol from November 8th 2025. (Please contact the gallery with any enquiries)

: ‘November. 1’ Oil on wood. H 30.5cms W 23cms. Rose Strang 2025

: November II. Oil on 12 by 9 inch wood panel.

: Sold. ‘November. 3’ Oil on wood. H 30.5cms W 23cms. Rose Strang 2025

I like this sort of painting as we go into winter – the darker palette and jewel-like colours lend themselves to winter light. and are quite meditative to paint.

October used to make me feel a bit trepiditious about the dark of coming winter, until I became fascinated by Medieval philosophy through reading books by C.S. Lewis and Michael Ward (Planet Narnia). Medieval philosophers believed seasons were ‘influenced’ by planets, so the dark months of winter corrrespond to Saturn: learning, time, authority, death, introspection – quite a heavy little collection of influences there, but I find when you embrace this time of year with a book next to the fireplace and a contemplative mind (maybe a little whisky too!) it’s all good.

Braemar Literary Festival September

1 Reply

I’m excited to be part of the Braemar Literary Festival this year. Not as an author, more as an artist in thrall to an author; namely Nan Shepherd and her much acclaimed book about the Scottish Cairngorms: The Living Mountain.

My paintings from the Living Mountain Series will be showing in the Highland Pavilion, Braemar on the 27th and 28th September and I’ll be there for ‘meet the artist’ from 12 noon to 1:30pm.

If you follow this blog you’ll maybe remember the exciting commission I was given by the Folio Society, London, in 2021. The Folio were re-publishing their own edition of The Living Mountain, and sought an artist to illustrate the book. I felt honoured and surprised – this being one of my favourite books of all time! (the Folio edition is now completely sold out – it’s possible to buy a copy online from booksellers but it’s now into the £100s. How I wish I’d held on to more of the copies they gave me. I have just one left)

The Braemar Literary Festival was founded by world-famous art collectors Hauser and Wirth, who own the Fife Arms Hotel in Braemar. The’ve turned the hotel into a quite extraordinary experience, the place is festonned with stunning original works of art including a Picasso and an enormous Bruegel in the dining room. The atmosphere is high-end but not uppity, the style in keeping with its Victorian heritage, they even have a framed letter by Queen Victoria tucked away in an alcove somewhere.

Guest speakers to the festival will include Monica Ali, Alexander McCall Smith, David Nichol (known most recently for the televised version of his heart-rending novel; One Day), Giles Coren and many more interesting authors, journalists and presenters (link Here)

Hope to see you there! Here’s the info again …

My paintings from the Living Mountain Series will be showing in the Highland Pavilion, Braemar on the 27th and 28th September and I’ll be there for a ‘meet the artist’ hour from 12 noon to 1:30pm.

August. Day 2

August

5 Replies

Above: August I. Oil on 12×9″ wood panel. Rose Strang September 2025

The start of a new series aways begins with a certain amount of fretting! I think I’ve now found a way to explore what inspired me though – namely, August light and shadow on stone.

: August 1. Oil on 12×9″ wood. Rose Strang 202

: August 2. Oil on 12×9″ wood. Rose Strang 2025

: On the easel

Not just any stone – this was inspired by a brief visit to Bath during the height of August to visit a friend of my partner Adam (hello Martin!) – a fellow architect. They met while studying architecture back in the 90’s and have remained great friends ever since.

So of course we were treated to a tour of Bath to admire its architecture and Jane Austen vibe in late August sunshine. You couldn’t get more touristy really, but sunlight on stone has always amazed me. I’ve never been trained in the art of architectural drawing, so I’m keeping it simple.

My last series (viewable on this link Forest of Luffness) was so challenging, with such complex ideas that I wanted to keep it simple for the rest of the year.

This series titled August is the first of two series I’ll be painting until the end of the year. The second will be titled November and will focus on the subtleties of light within interior settings.

Both series will be framed in hand-made and wood-stained en plein air frames (think large, dark wood Vermeer-esque frames) which will add much to the architectural theme.

It feels good to get started. More tomorrow …

Exhibition Saturday 19th July

1 Reply

Coming up in just 9 days, The Edinburgh Festival Exhibition at The Graystone Gallery, Edinburgh!

Saturday 19th June, 2 to 4pm, Graystone Gallery

Here’s a litle vid showing the inspiration of Iona and clips of the painting process …

Final Luffness painting, for now ..

3 Replies

Above: Forest of Luffness 18. Oil on Canvas Diptych 30×30″ and 30×12″. Rose Strang 2025

This is the final painting in the current Luffness series. I may continue painting this theme later in the year but it would take a different form.

Rather than explain or describe the meaning behind this series, I’m going to let the documentary explain that.

It’s going to be beautiful, with specially commissioned music, a highly talented film-maker, powerful ideas, and moving observations, expressed by Richard Demarco. The first draft might be ready by mid July. After some final tweaks it should be ready for public viewing by August.

In the meantime, here are all the paintings in the series …

: ‘First of June. Forest of Luffness 8’. Oil on 19.5×19.5″ wood. Rose Strang 2025

: Forest of Luffness 14. Oil on 30×30 inch canvas. Rose Strang 2025

: Forest of Luffness 18. Oil on 30×30 inch canvas. Rose Strang 2025

: Forest of Luffness 19. Oil on Canvas Diptych 30×30″ and 30×12″. Rose Strang 2025

Storm Island

2 Replies

Above. Storm Island. Oil on 50×50″ linen canvas. Rose Strang 2025.

Part of a series in progress for the Graystone Gallery‘s Edinburgh Festival exhibition launching to the public Saturday 19th July 2025 from 1 to 3pm

The photo below includes me to show scale …

: ‘Storm Island’. Oil on 50×50″ linen canvas. Rose Strang 2025

The painting’s called Storm Island because it shows a somewhat abstracted view from the north beach of Iona to Eilean Annraidh, which means (you guessed it!) Island of Storm in Gaelic.

It doesn’t look remotely stormy from the shore, it generally looks somewhat tranquil, even mystical in the way that islands do until you’re on them. A sense of untouched purity with its white sand and luminous tuquoise water.

I can never capture in traditonal or realist paintings that feeling of mystery. Abstracting this painting a little, and painting from a place where I’m thinking of colour, shape and texture rather than what’s actually there, maybe gives more of a sense of that feeling.

The foreground suggests a rockpool. The rock pools on the north beach of Iona are incredible sometimes, you feel you’ve stumbled upon some sort of dragon’s lair, with this lime green water among the jagged jet black rocks.

I have one more of these semi abstract works to finish this week, then the series for the Graystone Gallery is complete. The exhibition launches with a preview on Saturday 19th July from 1 to 3pm. Hope to see you there!

Iona Sea, new exhibitions

Iona Sea and new exhibitions in 2025

1 Reply

Above: North Beach Iona, May. Oil on 30×20 inch linen canvas. Rose Strang 2025

Lots of exciting new projects coming up!

The painting above is one of a series I’m creating for the Graystone Gallery, Edinburgh for their Edinburgh Festival exhibition, which launches on Saturday July 19th from 1 to 3pm

The painting below is for the Limetree Gallery‘s upcoming Summer Exhibition which launches 3rd July. You can preview or reserve paintings now by contacting them on their website.

(If you’re interested in buying or reserving one of the paintings please contact the galleries direct on the links in the above paragraph, thank you).

: ‘Sea Light, Iona’. Oil on 40 x 30 inch linen canvas. Rose Strang 2025

I have another three at larger sizes for the Graystone coming up. Readers of the blog will know how much Iona means to me, and to thousands of other people who visit the island every year. It’s a special place I’ve been visiting now for about thirty four years and I’d say it’s one of my biggest inspirations as an artist.

The next larger paintings will be a bit more abstract, but I know that people find these paintings of turquoise sparkling water joyful, and so do I!

This series is doubly special since my partner Adam and I prepared the canvases ourselves with sretcher bars and raw linen.

I’ve kept the lovely texture and colour of the linen by using clear gesso. If you look at the close ups of ‘Sea Light, Iona’ and ‘Iona North Beach, May’ below, you can see the unpainted canvas …