Gallery

Recent Paintings 2

New paintings of immediate surroundings

River Paintings, North Esk

Paintings of River Pools on the North Esk

Recent Paintings

Paintings from images absorbed from around the studio.

Orkney and the North

Recent paintings record responses to artefacts and atmosphere on a visit to Skaill house and Skara Brae in Orkney : harpoons symbolise the struggle for existence that persists through millennia : the Norse Runic Calendar, a wooden 'ruler' marked with symbols marking the 19 year cycle of the moon,and the sickle and comb bring a glimpse of the thought patterns and lifestyles of these earlier Northerners. In one,' Marking Time I have brought in the shape left by a wall-mounted water-pump from an Angus laundry, a shadow from a different past, but still that trace, or tracing left for us. In painting the north I use a restricted palette of greys, blues and umbers.

Italy : music

Visits to Italy have led me to explore a warm palette in response to the richness of the architecture and interiors of Renaissance cities of Venice ,Florence, Rome and Lucca. Occasionally, the cool incense filled interiors of lofty basilicas and churches are almost in complete contrast to the colours in the sun outside. Music and musical instruments from the baroque era has been another recent preoccupation, where my still lives marry the purity of the form of the instruments with the complexity of baroque style, through a layering of images.

Winter Oathlaw

The inspiration for this series of paintings was the very light and colour during the long snowy winter of last year. Fields and hills close to home with looming horses in the mist and frosty air painted themselves again in a pale Northern palette.