Tag Archives: scottish painting

“The Living Mountain. Dreaming a Response”

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Coming up early next year are two exhibitions featuring the Living Mountain paintings, commissioned by The Folio Society to illustrate their 2021 publication of The Living Mountain, by Nan Shepherd.

As well as paintings, a couple of videos are in the works and I’m very excited about these! I’ve commissioned Atzi Muramatsu (a friend and collaborator since 2013) to create a new piece of music to accompany the videos, which will be released in late January/early February 2023.

Painting has taken a bit more of a back seat while everything gets organised, but happily dates and venues are now confirmed and the series will be on show next year, firstly at The Scottish Poetry Library then at The Heriot Gallery, all details below…

17th February to 31st March. The Scottish Poetry Library. The Living Mountain. Dreaming a Response.

Exhibition of the original paintings included in the 2021 Folio Society publication of The Living Mountain by Nan Shepherd.

17th February 7pm. The Scottish Poetry Library. Panel discussion with Erlend Clouston (literary executor, the Nan Shepherd estate), Rose Strang Kerri Andrews (other guests tbc)

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The Scottish Poetry Library, Crichton Close (off the Royal Mile) Edinburgh.

17th to 23rd April. The Heriot Gallery, Dundas Street, Edinburgh. The Living Mountain. Dreaming a Response.*

Exhibition of the original paintings included in the 2021 Folio Society publication of The Living Mountain by Nan Shepherd.(in collaboration with The Limetree Gallery, Bristol).

*The series of paintings will be exclusively available from the Heriot Gallery during the one-week exhibition.

2021-09-13

The Heriot Gallery, 20A Dundas Street, Edinburgh

'Aberlady Dunes'. Mixed media on 30x30 inch wood panel. Rose Strang April 2020. (Private Commission, NFS).

Art Commissions

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Above, Aberlady Dunes. Mixed media on 30×30 inch wood panel. Rose Strang April 2020. (Private Commission).

Lockdown has been a good time to focus on private commissions. I’ve found it grounding and uplifting to focus on painting, and I think most people find art uplifting – a solace in strange and anxious times.

I accept most landscape commissions, even if it’s from a photo of someone’s favourite landscape, as long as I’ve been there and experienced that particular light, I’m able to paint it. I don’t aim for photo-realism. I deliberately keep brushwork as loose and expressive as possible and paint quickly for the sense of energy I’d feel if I was in situ. Painting En plein air is ideal of course, but with experience you can bring that same energy to painting in the studio.

The first commission this year – Aberlady Dunes – (above) was commissioned by a friend of the family who liked one of my previous smaller paintings of Aberlady. He’d lived on Lindisfarne some years ago and loved the sense of space  -stretching to the horizon across the marram grass to the sea and sand beyond.

North Berwick, Summer was commissioned by a doctor who lives in England who’d seen Aberlady Dunes and wondered if I could capture a stretch of his favourite coast near North Berwick, but on a smaller scale. I chose a spot that’s very familiar to me, just past the headland south of the town. It has many happy associations since I’ve been going there with family and friends since childhood, so it was a pleasure to paint.

'North Berwick, Summer'. Mixed media on 18x18" wood panel. Rose Strang 2020. (NFS, Private Commission).

‘North Berwick, Summer’. Mixed media on 18×18″ wood panel. Rose Strang 2020. (Private Commission).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The most recent – Sunrise, Ruby Bay, Fife  captures sunrise on Ruby Bay on the east coast of Scotland. It’s very large and I decided to experiment with acrylics and oils together with this one. I think I’m onto something as it came together in a very atmospheric way in the end. You can read more about painting it Here

'Sunrise, Ruby Bay. Fife. Acrylic and oil on 36x36" wood panel. Rose Strang 2020. (private commission)

‘Sunrise, Ruby Bay. Fife. Acrylic and oil on 36×36″ wood panel. Rose Strang 2020. (private commission)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To me, the difference in light between the east and west coast of Scotland is very clear – especially at dawn or sunrise. This painting below shows dawn on the west coast – far more diffused, since the sun, rising from the east, doesn’t touch the sea till later – you see the sun’s warmth more in the under-lit clouds.

‘Dawn, Ardtoe’. Mixed media on 14×11″ wood panel. Rose Strang, 2019. £495

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you like the look of these paintings and are interested in commissioning me, you can contact me at rose.strang@gmail.com

I’ll be happy to discuss price with you (the painting price varies according to size of course) and what mood or atmosphere you’re looking for. Below are a few more of my paintings showing a myriad of moods and atmosphere! …