Tag Archives: Scottish landscape painting

Cockenzie paintings

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Starting to experiment with the Cockenzie paintings, marking into wet gesso/marble dust. I’m going to wait for this to dry and scratch into dry paint then scrape back some of the edges. I’m really enjoying the subtle greys and minimal work, so I’m going to keep these very simple.

 

I’m also working on a River Tweed painting for my mum’s upcoming birthday. Again scratching into paint, this time green/black to white below, though at this stage I’m just marking it out. The figures, which are a bit vague at the moment, are my niece and her friends swimming; this was just after they’d all finished their exams and were in relaxed celebratory mood! This painting will take a lot more work – lots of detail and layers of varnish to get the lovely deep reflections on water…

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New works

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P1280696I’m just laying down the base colour on these 17×11 inch wood panels for two new paintings I’m creating, inspired by the moody seascapes and atmosphere of the east coast. I watched Cockenzie Power station being demolished last weekend and I wanted to express ideas of change and impermanency.

The dark background is because I’ll be layering over subtle mid-grey tones mixed with gesso and marble dust, then scratching through the top layer to create forms and lines. At least, that’s the plan! Things always change in process.

These should be finished by the end of next week, then I’ll be submitting them for the RSA in Edinburgh

 

Video of painting ‘Hawk’.

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'Hawk, River Tweed 3'. Mixed media on 40x40" wood panel

‘Hawk, River Tweed 3’. Mixed media on 40×40″ wood panel

Today’s painting – ‘the largest version of ‘Hawk, River Tweed’.

I decided to video the process of painting this one (link below) and was looking for suitable music to accompany it, so I was delighted when a friend, Jane Gardner, offered one of her own compositions for piano. It’s called ‘Oceans’, and it really adds drama and interest to the video. Thanks Jane!

 

‘The Green Woods Free’

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Below are all works that will be included in this Friday’s exhibition (details here)

The Green Woods Free

Preview Evening: Friday 17th July, 7 – 9pm (including live cello performance by composer/cellist Atzi Muramatsu)

Whitespace@25 Howe Street, Edinburgh, EH3 6TF

Exhibition continues until 23rd July (open every day 10am to 5pm)

 

Borders Country Day 23

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'Moffat Hills 3'. Acrylic on 20x16" canvas

‘Moffat Hills 3’. Acrylic on 20×16″ canvas

'Glentress Forest, Mist'. Mixed media on 20x16" canvas

‘Glentress Forest, Mist’. Mixed media on 20×16″ canvas

Today’s paintings – a misty view day in Glentress forest and shadows chasing across sunlit Moffat hills.

Quite difficult to capture the subdued colours in misty weather, and the way it lends a sort of silence. I might do a bit more work on these two but they’re almost there.

I’ve started on the huge hawk painting (40×40 inches) and I’m filming the process since people seem to like watching artists painting! I remember painting on the beach at North Berwick one day, and a teacherly woman stalked up behind me, watched me for a minutes then said dryly ‘ha’ and walked away. Most encouraging!

Borders Country Day 22

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'Birch Trees, Gladhope'. Mixed Media on 40x30" canvas

‘Birch Trees, Gladhope’. Mixed Media on 40×30″ canvas

Birch Trees updated. I felt it needed more contrast and texture. I think it’s pretty much finished now. I just have the largest painting on panel to complete, and I’ve started on this smaller painting…

In progress..

In progress..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Five days now until the exhibition launch at Whitespace Howe St! Four days really as the paintings must be hung in the gallery, wine ordered and so on.

Here are a few photos of the gallery, also one of composer/cellist Atzi Muramatsu contemplating paintings last year at Howe Street (he’ll be performing cello again at the launch this Friday, which I’m really looking forward to. I’ll make sure I record everything and will post it here in a week or so – all details Here)

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I love painting for a living, but it’s quite a financial roller coaster – a constant boom and bust that’s pretty unpredictable. After a month-long flu and lung infection earlier this year I was diagnosed with quite severe anaemia, so the rest of this year has been all about recovering and catching up. I don’t know what I’d have done without friends and family to help out. Much love to you and a huge, heartfelt, thank you!

Borders Country Day 21

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P1260026Today’s painting, Birch trees on a larger canvas of 40×30 inches.

I went a bit Jackson Pollock with some household undercoat paint, which was fun. I wanted to capture an early spring sort of light, more delicate and gentle.

Lots of admin’ to do for the exhibition so I don’t have much time to elaborate! I hope you’re all enjoying the summer weather.

Studio photo, people have said they like these so I’ll post one each day..

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Borders Country Day 20

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P1250985Getting 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 20x16" canvas

‘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. 40x30" canvas

In progress. 40×30″ canvas

In progress

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!

Borders Country Day 19

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'Wood Cabin, (Leithen) 2'. Acrylic on 20x16" canvas

‘Wood Cabin, (Leithen) 2’. Acrylic on 20×16″ canvas

P1250921Today’s painting, a larger version of the wood cabin at Leithen. Also a new start on yesterday’s forest painting (left). I painted over the original as it just didn’t seem to have the right feel I was looking for, it was too predictable.

 

I’m seeing this first Borders series as experimentation into what I want to capture about the Borders, hence the range of approaches! I think the more successful paintings are those where I’ve become more free with the paintbrush, but that requires a lot of familiarity with the subject.

There’s something quite satisfying about white-washing a painting I’m not 100% satisfied with, then starting again. There’s a metaphor in there somewhere, but I’m starting to feel a bit exhausted with all the concentration! The bigger paintings are definitely more of an effort physically.

Just one week till the exhibition launches! Details here – https://rosestrangartworks.wordpress.com/2015/06/03/new-exhibition/

Borders Country Series

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P1250985Below are all available paintings from the Borders Series and exhibition, The Green Woods Free, which continues until the 23rd July