… and I have yet another show running at the moment, in the now renamed and revamped Gallery Above and Beyond. Last summer I took the train and boat to Shetland, to meet a group of geological enthusiasts. Our aim was to explore sites of interest, however I went with another objective as well – to sketch and paint, naturally.
Haroldswick, Shetland, June 2022, watercolour and body colour on Winsor & Newton Lana Bristol board, 29x23cm framed (artwork 19x11cm) – what excited me about this was the feeling of descent, of rocks falling, the contrasting lights and darks, and how small plants had found congenial places to thrive.
Infuriatingly, I suffered severe food poisoning before I had had time to achieve much. So, for the first time, I abandoned my principle of working from life and instead worked from photos taken with my mobile.
I really enjoyed the experience: no concerns about the weather, changing light, time restraints and picking the good places, not to mention small biting insects.
Islesburgh I, Shetland, June 2022, watercolour on Winsor & Newton Lana Bristol board, 29x23cm framed (artwork 19x11cm) – the excitement in this scene comes from the possibility of impending change. Huge rocks, many of them jagged, all thrown together by huge forces millions of years ago and they are still being subjected to the forces of gravity and weather.
The paintings that I created are all exhibited in Gallery Above and Beyond‘s current show, entitled ‘stone stories from planet earth – art and geology side by side’.
The exhibition runs in Linton, Cambridgeshire until May 27. I hope you will have the opportunity to visit. If not, you may like to visit my galleries to see some more of the paintings that are on show and for sale.
Impression, Tangwick, Shetland, June 2022, watercolour on handmade Indian paper, 31x27cm framed (artwork 24x17cm) – here I have gone for a traditional and exacting approach using watercolour to subtly portray the differing tones and detail, a challenge on this very unruly and unpredictable paper.
