Isle of Harris, Green Sea, east coast. Mixed media on 5×5″ wood block
Stockinish Sea Loch from Lickisto (Isle of Harris). Mixed media on 5×5″ wood block
Today’s paintings of the Isle of Harris for the upcoming exhibition on the 14th July at Whitespace Gallery
‘Elie Bay4’. Mixed media on 15×152 wood
Today’s painting – another commission of ‘Elie Bay’ on the east coast. This time at 15×15″ in a shallow box frame
The following prints of my paintings are available as limited editions at the Saatchi Gallery Online. You can buy them – Here
Liceasto 4 (Harris)’. Mixed media on 10×10″ wood
‘Liceasto 3 (Harris). Mixed media on 10×10″ wood
‘Leaving Ullapool’. Mixed media on 20×16″ canvas
‘Liceasto (Harris)’. Mixed media on 20×16″ canvas
Today’s paintings – a couple of very quick paintings on canvas at 20×16 inches, also two more works on 10×10 inch wood, adding to the Harris and Lewis series. There’s a definite palette and mood emerging – white, green, rust, black and blue…
The diffuse light effect is mostly gesso layers on top of dry paint – it’s usually used as a base, but it’s less opaque than titanium white and I’ve always liked the atmospheric effects, along with thick paint applied with palette knife and salt which gives gritty highlights.
I’m really tempted to publish one of Louise Palfreyman’s poems here to illustrate how well these all work together, but I’ll wait until I’ve edited the video, and Atzi Muramatsu has responded musically (though Louise might publish on her own blog – viewable Here)
More works in progress, above.
I spent a couple of days editing the video of my paintings and Louise Palfreyman’s poems, which I find beautifully evocative of the landscape – capturing her visceral response whilst subtly touching on some of the ideas, context and history of Lewis and Harris.
Then I realised I wasn’t entirely happy with the paintings. Or to be more accurate, Atzi Muramatsu (the cellist we’re collaborating with on this project) came round to my flat to discuss music for the project, watched the first draft video then said he knew I could paint something more atmospheric. I thought so too – I’d got caught up in video editing when my focus is painting!
I’m still trying to capture the mood and feel of the landscape at this stage, experimenting with what works, things haven’t entirely fallen into place yet, so I was grateful for the reminder.
More paintings, poems, music and video to follow, in the next few weeks…
‘Callanish 2’. Mixed media on 5×5″ wood
Today’s been quite productive and I can see the kernel of a series taking shape – the colours, shapes and brushwork. The series (which will include at least 20 small works on wood, and a series of 3 etchings) will follow the journey from Ullapool to Lewis then Harris.
These are an ok start. I think they’d work well as a block; a bit like a wall of tiles, where the sense of changing light and landscape can be seen as a pattern, which will take a bit longer to emerge…
‘Ullapool to Stornaway 3’. Mixed media on 5×5″ woo
‘Callanish 1 + 2″.
‘Ullapool to Stornaway 1+3’. Mixed media on 5×5″ wood
The painting of a small boat seen at a distance in fading light (from the ferry to Stornaway) took several variations (images below) the first of which was best. I’ll work more on this tomorrow – the key is a very fast, instinctive paintwork and I was annoyed at myself for fussing and changing what I knew worked better in the first place!
‘Ullapool to Stornaway 2’. Mixed media on 5×5″ wood
‘Ullapool to Stornaway 3’. Mixed media on 5×5″ wood
I’m also playing around with the idea of luminous lines – an idea which began as imagining lines echoing the landscape in luminous night-glo tape and words for Louise’s poems.
Easy to think of, tricky to do! (the image on left shows the basic idea, though the reality would be smaller scale, tape affixed to fences etc).
Since we’re applying for the An Lanntair project which has a small budget, I’ll put this idea on ice for the moment, but it can be reflected in paintings and etchings, for example the lime-green line next to the Callanish stone in ‘Callanish 1’ above.
‘View from Achnahaird Sand Dune’. Mixed media on 8×8″ wood
A bit more work on the painting of Coigach mountains from Achnahaird beach near Achiltibuie, I’m not sure if it’s improved or not! Here are previous version (below) which didn’t really get the Achiltibuie light effects which were very soft that day.
‘View from Achnahaird Sand Dune’. Mixed media on 8×8″ wood
‘View from Achnahaird Sand Dune’. Mixed media on 8×8″ wood
From next week I’ll be working on a series of twenty 5×5″ paintings on wood of Lewis and Harris..
‘View from Achnahaird Sand Dune’. Mixed media on 8×8″ wood
‘Liceasto, Harris’. Mixed media on 10×10″ wood
Today’s paintings – ‘View from Achnahaird Sand Dune’ and a bit more work on ‘Liceasto, Harris’.
The first was much improved with a little time in a hot oven to create a
crackle effect..
Maps showing Liceasto on Harris, and Achnahaird on the Coigach coast…
Liceasto
Achnahaird
Back home in Edinburgh after an incredible week in the West Highlands and Hebrides – a journey which took us through Achiltibuie then the isles of Lewis, Harris and Skye.
I’ll continue this series of blog posts under the general title of ‘Hebrides – day 6’ etc, until we decide on a title for our project (a collaboration between myself, poet Louise Palfreyman and cellist/compser Atzi Muramatsu).
It’s in early stages at the moment, but we hope to raise funds for a longer stay in the Hebrides, on Lewis and Harris particularly.
Louise and I 
will continue to work closely, sharing
ideas as we develop paintings and poems began on our journey, which we’ll blog and share every week or so with a round up of the work produced as we go.
Today I’ve been sifting through the hundreds of photos, sketches and videos from our journey. Looking through photos of Harris confirms what we felt while staying there – it’s a magical place (which I managed to blog about despite the frustrating on/off internet connection! Link to post Here)
I described it as ‘Marshwiggle territory’ which may have flummoxed those unfamiliar with the Narnia Chronicles, for whom I include this excellent illustration on the right, by Pauline Baynes.
More photos of Harris..
I’ll also be editing a video this week which will hopefully capture the magic and inspiration of our trip, also our paintings, poems and music.
As mentioned in my blog post about Lewis and Harris, we met with poet Ian Stephen in Stornaway last week. One of the poems he recited for us came to mind today while I thought of the silvery moonscape vistas of Harris, with red berries of rowan trees growing alongside its sea lochs.
Ian’s poem echoes the gentleness we felt there, the sense that you can open heart and imagination to the atmosphere…
Should we plant a rowan here
at the sea-loch side?
The seed of red berries
for imagination,
to germinate
in this day
when leaves mould
and stars die
A hawthorn for healing,
spur and leaf balm.
Rooting for
the pair of us
and for us all.
Today I met up with Sam Collin (Marine Planning Officer for the Scottish Wildlife Trust) at the Freespace Gallery to chat about their Living Seas Project.
Sam suggested we meet in the gallery so he could see the Harbour paintings and he also wanted to say thanks for donating 10% of sales from the Harbour exhibition towards the Living Seas and Marine projects.
It’s really just a small donation so it was very nice of Sam to drop by and a pleasure to meet him, but I do plan to continue where possible to donate towards the Scotish Wildlife Trust and in general to work where I can to help support environmental projects.
The exhibition continues till the 30th June at Freespace Gallery (which is run by Kate and Terence, who’ve been a pleasure to work with). Also, many thanks again to folks who’ve bought paintings or prints, it’s good to know that sales of these contribute a little towards conservation of Scotland’s beautiful coast.
On that subject here are some photos of my trips around east coast harbours in the last few months. I love the textures of crails and ropes!..
Rose Strang Artworks 