A few overview photos of my exhibition, which opened today. 26 new paintings on canvas, the largest of which is just over a metre square.
This wall includes paintings with a subject that’s new to me: winding roads and little cottages. Of which Skye has plenty!
It’s a particular joy having my Ma visiting at the time for my exhibition!
A particularly special moment: holding a copy of my exhibition catalogue! Copies will be on sale at Skyeworks when my exhibition opens on Monday.
Make a note in your diary: be at Skyeworks Gallery at 10am on Monday the 20th May! There will be just over two dozen new paintings featuring the Minch, trees, winding roads and, of course, sheep.
In Tarbert on the Isle of Harris there’s this shed with a not-so-little red door. Inside is a not-so-little choice of tweeds. (It was the last stop of last week’s tour.)
The tweed shed in Tarbert, Harris
Much as I love living on Skye, what this isle doesn’t really do are long white sandy beaches with enormous waves thundering in. So the request list given to guide Les McInulty of Albannach Guided Tours for what we wanted to see on a two-day trip to Lewis (and a little bit of Harris) was topped by “beaches”. And wow, did we see magnificent beaches (and much more).
The fabulous Les McInulty of Albannach Guided Tours. What you can’t see is the rain shower blowing in behind me that Les had warned me would be upon us in about five minutes. (We did make it back to the car in time!)
Part of the view we were admiring.
Something so photogenic about rusting corrugated iron.
Note the double doors!
The Callanish Stones on the Isle of Lewis
And now to some of the beaches of Lewis…
Looking towards Luskentyre beaches on Harris
Patterns in the Minch, on the ferry back to Skye
Sparkles on the Minch sailing across the sea to Skye
This is a painting that changes quite a lot with the light: on darker days, the blues are prominent; on bright days the iridescent paint catches the light and it’s more silvery. The texture paste (see detail photo below) also influences how the light falls on the surface. A couple bought it at Skyeworks when I was down in Edinburgh, but I should get to meet them as they apparently said they’ll be back in May for my solo exhibition!
Summer Glow. 1x1m. SOLD.
Detail from Summer Glow
Was at the drop-in Saturday afternoon life-drawing session at the Leith School of Art. Poses from 15 to 45 minutes. I started with pencil, then moved onto Inktense blocks.
My solo exhibition at Skyeworks Gallery opens on 20th May. Feels even more real now the flyers and posters have arrived. I’ll sit around admiring them for a bit, then it’ll be back to work at paintings to be in the exhibition!
“How long did it take you?” is a question that gets asked regularly. It’s not entirely straightforward to answer, as there’s not only the brush-on-canvas time involved in a painting. But that’s more interesting to watch than me sitting around thinking, so I’ve made a video of what happens when I step up to my easel. Bonus points if you spot where I pass studio cat a bowl of food.
It was a busy day at Skyeworks yesterday, once again meeting all sorts of interesting people (including a travel/food journalist) but the highlight for me was undoubtedly selling “Four Ply“! Well wrapped in bubble, it headed off-island with a couple who’d discovered the gallery late the day before, and came back for it. I’m delighted they did!
Four Ply
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